


The Love One Summer Can Bring

by MessrErin



Series: What is this we have? [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 49,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28771848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MessrErin/pseuds/MessrErin
Summary: I don't really like this fanfic but others do so I'll keep it going.This story is set in the summer holidays after 5th year, so when they go back they will be going into sixth year.When Harry has to spend the summer at Malfoy Manor, will the hatred Draco and Harry hold for eachother disappear or grow stronger?Mentions of alcohol misuse / abuse and eating disorders.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: What is this we have? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134560
Comments: 19
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

Eagerly, I start packing my bag ready for Summer. I'll be spending this year at Ron's as I spent last year with Hermione. After a dreadful Summer a few years back, I decided never to return to my aunt and uncles again, which both Ron and Hermione backed whole heartedly telling me I could alternate staying at theirs each year which was very generous of them. 

As this year is going to be spent at Ron's it is assured to be fun and full of mischief and it is guaranteed no day will be uneventful, especially with Fred and George now being allowed to use magic out of school.

Don't get me wrong though, I love spending time with Hermione all the same, it's nice at hers, it's like an escape from all things magic, except of course when she is studying, but she tends to like quite days in, not doing much, which can be ok, but I also like a bit of an adventure, doing something we know we shouldn't.

"Hello Harry." I turn to see Hermione beaming down at me and with Ron at her side. 

"Hey guys." I smile up at them. "Someone seems eager to go." I laugh at Hermiones irritation to get going.

"That I am, this year I'm going on holiday with my parents to-" she cuts off frowning at me. "You haven't packed yet?" 

"No, but I'm almost done, just have a few more bits to pack, should I meet you both down there?" I laugh, she gets so stressed when either me or Ron isn't finished packing on time, usually it's Ron.

"Sounds good, I'll tell you all about my holiday on the train, come on Ron." Hermione chirps grabbing Rons arm.

"Wait a minute." Ron stops her as a bewildered look takes over his face. "Did you say, your going on holiday this year?" 

"Yes" Hermione smiles excitedly but soon her expression changes to confusion. "Why?"Then anger. "Oh Ronald don't tell me you forgot Harry was coming to yours this year."

"W-well I didn't exactly forget I just thought Harry was going to yours this year." Ron gulps looking down. 

Huffing Hermione turns to Ron crossing her arms "how could you possibly forget? Well is there a possibility he can stay at yours?" 

"Not exactly, you see, Bill is coming to visit so we don't really have the extra room." Ron explains to us looking at me apologetically. "I'm really sorry Harry." 

"So am I and maybe if someone had said something sooner you could have come to mine but my parents have booked this marvelous holiday and it's too late to cancel or buy another ticket." Hermione glares at Ron before softening her expression to look at me. 

"It's fine, honestly guys, I'll find somewhere to stay." I assure them smiling, I'll find somewhere to stay... hopefully.

Hermione scans my face like she is looking for an answer on it before her face lights up."Why don't you go see Dumbledore I'm sure he can help you one way or another."

I take a moment to think before replying, I guess he may be able to help, I'm not sure how but it's worth a shot, "good idea, thank you Mione, I'll finish packing then I'll go see him." 

We say small goodbyes then I get back to packing my last few bits.  
After finally finishing and hauling my stuff around the school I find Dumbledore in the corridor.

"Hello Sir." I greet him with an outstretched hand.  
Taking my hand in his and shaking it he smiles "goodday Harry, I trust you'll have fun at Ron's this year, especially as Fred and George are now 17, they are bound to get up to lots of mischief." 

I smile at this remark, they definitely will then I hesitate for a moment before explaining my situation. "You see, that's what I came to talk to you about. I can't go to Ron's or Hermione's this year so I have no where to go."

"Hm I see." He says furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm not sure how or if I can help you with that Har-" he cuts off looking over my shoulder before looking back at me with a slight smirk. "Or maybe I can. Draco!" Oh no.

I turn around to see Draco, stopping mid walk and looking in our direction. His eyes immediately fixate on me and a look of disgust washes over his face.

"Come over here a second please." Dumbledore calls and Draco makes his way over doing that ridiculous cocky stride of his.

"Yes sir?" He asks head held high.

"Your parents are away all Summer and won't be back until after you start back at school, correct?" No no no, this can't be happening. 

"Yes?" Draco looks at him confused then looks to me questioningly and I shrug although I know full well what's about to happen. 

"Right, I need you to let Harry stay at your house with you this summer." I gasp along with Draco despite my knowledge of what he was going to say I didn't think he was actually going to. 

Draco stands with a look that can almost be mistaken as fear but obviously is shock, completely frozen trying to form words before finally blurting out, "you've got to be kidding me right? As if spending my classes with Pottah isn't already enough."

"Now now Draco, no need to be rude, it's just one summer and if you accept you will be rewarded 100 points, how about that?" Dumbledore sternly tells him but to this, Draco merely scoffs.  
"Ok, if you were rewarded 150, would you do it?" He asks again rasing an eyebrow at Draco who thinks for a moment licking his lips as he does so. 

"Well, that's more like it, but, I want one other thing, get me, Crabbe and Goyle out of History of magic for a week." 

Clearly frustrated, Dumbledore looks between the two of us before finally sighing "fine, thank you Draco." 

"My pleasure." Draco smirks. "But may I ask, why me?" 

"Well because, well I don't actually know why but he can't go to Ron's or Hermione's this year and when I saw you walking past it seemed kind of perfect as it is about time you two started to at least tolerate eachother." 

"Perfect definitely isn't the word I would use." Draco mutters under his breathe and I roll my eyes at his sly remark. 

"Anyway you two better get going, see you after Summer boys." Dumbledore smiles nodding his head slightly. 

"See you then sir." I return his smile then I follow Draco who has already started walking away. 

"I can't believe I actually agreed to this." Draco mutters again as we head to the train station, bags in hand and I roll my eyes.  
After a painfully long boat ride and walk, we get to the train station where we are greeted by Hagrid.

"Hello boys, never thought I would see you two this close together out of school." He laughs as we stop in front of him. 

"Me either." I laugh along.

"So you two finally friends or?" Hagrid questions. 

"Ha, he wishes. No, Dumbledore is making me spend my Summer with him because he can't go to his little friends." Draco mocks rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut up would you Malfoy." I say as he glares at me.

"Well then, this is going to be an enjoyable train ride for you two then." Hagrid awkwardly laughs rocking on his feet and our heads snap to look at him causing Hagrids eyes to widen in shock. "Well, sorry to break it to you boys but you need to ride in the same carriage as you will be going to the same place and Harry doesn't know where your stop is Draco." 

"Well that is just spectacular then isn't it." Draco huffs walking away.  
After watching Draco walk away I turn back to Hagrid and we both laugh. 

"Well I hope you have a good summer Hagrid, oh and try not to get anymore dangerous pets while your at it." I chuckle watching his face twist as he tries to think of what to say.  
Finally he is about to reply but doesn't get a single word in before he is interrupted, "Pottah!" Draco calls. "You coming or not?" 

Rolling my eyes and looking round I see Draco staring at me and tapping his foot impatiently with his arms crossed over his chest. "Guess that's my queue to go." 

"Guess so." Hagrid laughs. "See you soon Harry."  
"See you soon Hagrid." I smile walking away. 

Just as I get to Draco, Hagrid calls out, "oh and Harry, try not to have to much fun with Draco this Summer."  
Laughing I shake my head I follow Draco, who is quietly muttering to himself, onto the train.


	2. Chapter 2

When we finally make our way to the carriages, I try to quickly put my bags up in thei overhead locker so I can sit next to the window as I get travel sick but Draco beats me to it. Hesitantly I sit on the seat opposite him and on the isle side so I'm as far away as I can be from him.  
Not looking away from the window Draco laughs "you don't have to sit so far away Potter, I don't bite."

Rolling my eyes I scoff, "like you'd actually want me any closer to you."

"Suit yourself." Draco shrugs and I'm glad the conversation ends there, not wanting to explain my travel sickness just to be made for of.

After 20 minutes of travelling, I look round to see Draco has his head back, eyes closed and feet on the part of the seat next to me and suddenly a wave of sickness washes over me, brilliant. Should I ask him to move his legs? No no, he'll probably moan that I woke him and I really can't be dealing with that right now.

Looking around I search for something, anything, in which I can focus on and my eyes unwillingly land on Draco's pale face.

His icy white hair is swept to the side creating a kind of curtained look as they cover his closed eyes slightly. I've always envied Draco's eyes, how they are a stoney grey that turns a beautiful silver if in contact with a ray of sun. Trailing down his face more and past his nose, I stop at his soft pink lips that curved ever so slightly into a smirk and- wait why is he smirking?

"It's rude to stare Potter." Draco teases, although his eyes remain closed.

Great he saw, but how, I didn't see him open his eyes? Keeping my cool I roll my eyes tearing them away from his face which concludes to be a bad idea as the nausea returns.

"Though I don't blame you, I mean who wouldn't want to stare at this perfect face of mine." Draco continues, smirk increasing as he waits for my response, but it doesn't come as my vision begins to blur, as though I'm not wearing my glasses, and my head starts to pound.  
Quickly I get up to find a window but immediately fall forward in the attempt.

"Are you ok Potter?" Draco asks in a worried tone I've never heard before and I look over to see his eyes now wide open.

"Yeah I'm fine Malfoy." I growl. Like he actually cares.

"Really Potter your gonna do this now?" He hisses and I try rolling my eyes but it just increases the pain and I grip my head tightly. "What do you need?"

I unconsciously point to the glass next to him and it takes him a while but he catches on. Pulling me over to the window seat he quickly asks "do you need water?"

Seating myself down I nod slowly, or I think I did, its hard to tell as my head feels like it's swinging in all directions.  
Grabbing his bag, I watch as the blonde pulls out a bottle of water and a potion of some sort.

"Here take this, it's for travel sickness." Draco says handing me the small bottle of potion.

I take it from him downing it and instantly feeling a bit better, my vision returning to normal, but the taste is dreadful so he hands me the bottle of water and I unscrew the cap before looking at it weirdly.

"You better not have drunk from this Malfoy, I don't want your bratty boy disease." I tease and he rolls his eyes taking a seat opposite me.

"No I haven't drunk from it Potter, don't worry." He sneers back. "And you welcome by the way."

Waving him off with my hand as a way of saying thank you, I begin sipping the water while concentrating on the trees zooming past.

After around 10 minutes I feel fine again and I turn to Draco who is apparently already looking at me. Raising my eyebrow, I let a smirk crawl into my lips and he quickly snaps his head to look back out the window.

"Who's the one staring now Malfoy." I chuckle and he scoffs.

"Shut it Potter." He growls and I throw my hands up in mock defense before having another little chuckle, looking back out the window.  
We sit in a very obviously awkward silence for around 20 minutes before I can't take it anymore and finally decide to get up. Draco looks at me for a split second then looks away.  
"I'm going to find Ron and Hermione." I tell him walking to the doors of our carriage.

"Didn't need to know that but if your not back in time, I'll leave." He tells me bluntly and I roll my eyes again.

Looking into each carriage I finally find Ron and Hermione's which has the food cart outside it, no suprise there.  
"Hey guys." I say then laugh at the seat next to Ron, completely filled with goods.

"Hello Harry, did Dumbledoor find you someone to go with?" Hermione asks patting the window seat next to her.

"Yeah." I sigh sitting next to her. "And you'll never guess who."

"I bet it's Malfoy." Ron half jokes in-between stuffing his face with sweets and chocolate.

"You guessed right." I say in a pretend excited voice and they both gasp.

"Bloody hell Harry, that's pretty bad." Ron laughs, great thanks for pointing out the obvious.

"I know, how am I gonna spend a whole summer with him without accidentally killing him." I dramatically huff putting my head in my hands.

"Oh you two, honestly stop being so dramatic." Hermione scolds. "You probably won't see much of him anyway so I don't see the problem and would you rather spend it with him or your aunt and uncle?" Well she has a point there. She takes my silence as defeat and carries on. "Exactly, so stop moaning."

"Woah calm down Mione, why you sticking up for Malfoy all of sudden? Do you want Harry to be living hell?" Ron asks giving me a confused look.

"He just so happened to be walking past and 'it will be good for us to at least tolerate eachother.' I say making air quotes with my hands.

"No, I just think it will be good for them two to just at least tolerate eachother." Hermione explains like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's what Dumbledoor said." I mumble.

"Exactly. Despite my strong disliking to Malfoy, don't you think it would be nice for the two to stop eating at eachothers throats everytime they see eachother Ronald?" Hermione states.

"I dunno." Ron shrugs shoving another chocolate frog into his mouth and the frizzy haired girl rolls her eyes in disgust before looking at me as if asking me the same question.

"I guess, anyway tell us about this holiday your going in Hermione." I change the subject turning my body to face her slightly although I can see Ron grumble something under his breath at my request.

We talk for a while about how Hermione is going to Iceland with her family and she explains it is very snowy and icy there, Ron makes a comment about how obvious that is considering the name but she simply ignores and goes on to tell us how she is excited to see all the different land and sea creatures but will miss doing studying magic whenever she wishes. We then talked a bit about what Ron was getting up to before Hermione says "Harry, you better get back, Draco's stop is very very soon."

Groaning I get up hugging Hermione and shaking Ron's hand as I go "well see you later guys have a good Summer."

"You too Harry." They tease and I roll my eyes at them. As I leave I could've sworn Hermione gave me the same look she gave me when I figured out Cho liked me but I shake it off as nothing.  
When I get back to Draco, he looks tense and worried but as soon as he sees me he loosens up.

"Thought you weren't gonna come back Potter." He laughs slightly, raising his eyebrow.

"What, and miss spending a whole Summer with you? Never." I say sarcastically, leaning in the door way of the carriage.

"Mmm, who would want to miss that?" Draco smirks standing up and grabbing his bags from the rack above his head.  
Following in suite I do the same and not long after, the train stops.  
Clambering off the train, I follow Draco out of the station and down a small street until we come to a halt by a curb. He looks at his watch tapping his foot impatiently.  
"What exactly are we waiting for?" I ask him edging closer.

"Oh right I forgot you were here, um have you got your invisibility cloak."he asks and I look at him confused and he rolls his eyes. "Basically Potter, we are getting picked up and dropped off at the house but the driver can't see your here otherwise he will tell my father."

"Oh right ok, so your father won't hear about this then." I tease unzipping my bag and pulling out the cloak as he glares at me. Looking around I spot a small alleyway and quicky scurry over to it. Once I get the cloak on, I make my way back over to Draco just as a car pulls up beside him.

"Are you there Potter?" Draco whispers placing a hand on the shiny black handle of a very expensive looking vehicle.

"Yes I am." I respond just as quietly.

"Right follow me into the back of the car ok?" He tells me opening the door and climbing in.  
I nod, although he can't see me, and climb in too, closing the car door behind me.

"Afternoon Mr Malfoy, am I mistaken or did that door close on its own?" The driver asks turning round to look at Draco.

"Yes, you are mistaken." He replies cooly and the driver goes to protest but the blonde snaps. "No, I don't have to justify anything to you, now get going, I want to be home and out of this blasted Muggle town ok?" The driver simply nods apologetically and begins driving. Wow, that boy can be so dam rude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw, I'm just getting the hang of using ao3 because this story was originally posted on wattpad but it messed up the chapters so Im posting it here, please bare with me.


	3. Chapter 3

After a longish drive we arrive at Malfoy manor. Draco gets out first, leaving the door open for me to get out while thanking the driver so as to not rise suspicion to why he is holding it open. Climbing along the seats I pull myself and my luggage out of the car, brushing along Draco as I go so that he knows I am out. As I do so his whole body tenses and blood rushes to his pale cheeks.   
Confused, I shake it off and turn around to admire Malfoy manor. Even in the dim light of the slightly darkening sky, the manor looks spectacular and just as big, if not bigger, than I had imagined.   
"Potter, Potter, can you hear me under there?" Draco snaps pulling me out of my admiring state.

"Yes sorry, what?" I ask feeling a bit embarrassed I didn't hear him the first time.

I can just about see Draco roll his eyes as he turns toward the manor, "leave that on ok, in case anyone is home."

"But I thought your parents were already gone?" I ask confused as I follow him up the driveway.

"I'm not talking about them." He says simply.

My curiosity almost gets the better of me but I decide not to push it by asking anymore questions as he is obviously on edge already, but why?  
Once we get to the great door he unlocks it, leading me in. As we walk in a let out a small gasp at the great size.  
"Stay here." He whispers and I watch as he disappears into room after room, I'm assuming he is checking for whoever may be here.   
I watch carefully as he darts between the rooms, brows furrowed as he checks them thoroughly.   
Finally he finishes and heads upstairs without a word. I take this as an opportunity to look more closely at everything around me. The walls are ancient looking, not worn away or in bad condition, just a bit vintagy. As far as the eye can see, everything is black or a deep shade of brown and the only colour is from the flowers, placed here and there in beautiful vases.  
I scan every painting within eyes reach carefully as I can as I wait for Draco but it is hard to see every detail of the moving pictures with the disorientation this cloak gives out.   
After what feels like forever Draco comes downstairs walking straight towards me and I quickly move out of the way so he can get to the door.  
I watch as he locks it putting the small chain across it for extra security.   
"Ok Potter you can take that off now." Draco tells me.

Not even a second after I take it off he turns to face me, "I have some rules, and don't moan about them if they are 'too harsh' for your liking." Draco scowls, jeez whats his problem?

I scoff "I think I can deal with a few rules after what I dealt with at my auntie and uncles...and before you say it Malfoy no I don't want a pitty party."

"Good." He snaps. "Because you aren't getting one. Anyway, don't open any doors or windows without my permission, if you want to send letters to your pathetic little friends tell me and NEVER go into my room, got it."

"Got it." I mockingly smile rolling my eyes.   
"Good, Timmy!" Draco calls out and with a snap a house elf appears.

"Yes master Draco?" The elf asks nervously.

"Get me and Potter some dinner, and if you dare tell my father of this there will be serious consequences, understand?" Draco threatens.

"Yes master Draco right away, and Timmy understands, your father doesn't have to know." Timmy says and when Draco nods with a snap he disappears.

"Can't you ever be nice to anyone Malfoy." I ask rolling my eyes.

"No." He answers simply before grabbing his bags and heading upstairs. "Hurry up Potter, I'll show you your room."

I quicky gather my bags and scurry after Draco who walks down a long corridor before stopping outside a door right at the end.  
"This is my room, if you need me knock and your room is there, don't touch or move anything, only sit at the bed and desk, I'll meet you downstairs for dinner in 20 minutes." Draco tells me bluntly before walking into his room and shutting the door behind him.

I walk into the room in which he indicated to to reveal suprise suprise more dark and gloomy furniture, the walls are a deep shade of grey, the bedding is black and there are a few splashes of green here and there making me feel even more out of place than I already am.

Sighing I open my bag to retrieve some parchment, my quill and some ink, deciding to spend my time before dinner writing out a letter to Ron and Hermione.

The time flies by and before I even know how much time has passed, I hear Draco knock on my door as he walks past and downstairs. Quickly I get up, scampering out of the door to walk behind Draco, realising just how hungry I really am.

We walk into a great hall that the malfoys call a dinning room and again, I notice everything is black, dark grey or green. Lots of photos hang on the walls but one catches my eye, it's a family portrait positioned on the wall at the head of the table. Draco is stood in front of his mother and father with their hands on his shoulders. As the portrait moves, you can see Narcissa squeeze Draco's shoulder and he looks at her with a real genuine smile, a smile I had never seen before, even when he was with his friends. Lucius is next to squeeze his shoulder and he tenses, his smile fading into a saddened, forced one.

"Your sitting here Potter, opposite me." Draco tells me snapping me from my thoughts.

I turn to see Draco sat at the other end of the table to the head of the table where I figure his father sits.   
"Why are you sitting all the way down here?" I can't help but ask.

"Don't usually eat down here, I get Timmy to bring the food to my room but seeing as I have a guest it's only polite of me to sit down here." He smirks in a slightly better mood than he was in earlier.

Shrugging I sit down and that's when I notice the great mounds of food before us.  
"I didn't know what you liked Mr Potter so I did a bit or everything." Timmy says making me jump at his presence I did not know was there.

"Thank you very much Timmy." I smile and with that he disappears.  
I sit for a moment longer admiring the great food before me.   
"Tuck in Potter, don't want it getting cold." Draco smiles putting food onto his plate, mimicking him, I pile the food into my own.  
Once I have devoured my whole plate I look over to see Draco has hardly touched his "are you ok Malfoy, you've hardly touched your food."   
He prods around in his food a little longer before setting his knife and fork down on the plate and looking up at me "yep I'm fine." He tells me then summons Timmy. "Please clean away Timmy."

"Yes master Draco, would Master Draco and Mr Potter require dessert?" Timmy asks walking over and grabbing lots on plates, placing them along his small arms.

"I'm fine thank you, what about you Potter?" Draco asks turning his attention back to me.

"No thank you, I'm rather stuffed." I smile to Timmy who smiles back then disappears.

"I'm going to bed now Potter, if you wish, you can stay down here and do as you please or go to bed, the choice is yours." Draco tells me standing to walk to the door and I follow his actions and as I feel tiredness wash over me.

Parting ways at our bedrooms Draco calls out a simple "goodnight Potter." And I call back "goodnight Malfoy" before shutting my door.   
Once inside I finish off the letters to Hermione and Ron basically just explaining all of the events from today after I parted from them, then I change into my pajamas and as soon as my head hits the pillow I fall asleep from the exhaustion the day had brought me.


	4. Chapter 4

Groaning I wake up to a large bang against the mighty door of Malfoy manor and not long after I hear Draco hurry along the hallway and down the stairs.   
Letting my curiosity get the better of me I slip over to the bedroom door cracking it open so I can hear.   
Draco opens the door but the chain rattles meaning he hasn't opened it all the way. "What are you doing here?" Draco whisper shouts.

"I'm here to look after you remember, and why are you whispering?" The voice at the door responds, where do I know that voice.

"I don't need looking after this year, didn't my father tell you? I'm spending this year alone." Draco replies in a louder voice now.

"Is that so, he did not in form me of this change of plan." The voice says clearly not convinced. "And why is it you want to be alone this year?"

"I want to knuckle down this year so when it's time I am ready but also educated and I feel this is something I need to do on my own." Draco tells the voice, ready for what?

"You are very wise Draco, when you join us you are going to need to do things on your own." The voice says then it clicks and I feel the colour drain from my face as a gasp, clapping my hand over my mouth and realising who is at the door.

"Who is that?!" Voldemort bellows.

"Don't know, probably just Timmy." Draco says casually but I can tell he is frightened. "Timmy."

I hear a snap then Timmy says "yes master Draco."

"Was that you Timmy, who just gasped up stairs?" Draco asks the small house elf still with a neutral voice.

"Yes, I am very sorry master Draco, Timmy wanted to get as much cleaning as Timmy could in tonight so that Timmy could make you a nice welcome home breakfast tomorrow morning but when I went to dust in a high corner I lost my balance and I almost fell, I'm extremely sorry if I disturbed you." The house elf lies straight through his teeth, thank Merlin for Timmy.

"You are no longer needed, leave now creature." Voldermort's vile voice speaks and it takes everything in me not to go down there right now and finish him.

"I am extremely tired, my lord so if you don't mind I'm going to head back to bed now." Draco says his voice now shaking a little.

"Ok Draco, owl me if you need anything." Voldermort voice slithers through the house.

I am assuming Draco nods as they say there goodbyes and the door is shut and locked.  
As he nears the room I'm staying in upon coming upstairs, I get up opening the door "why was he here!?" I demand clearly scaring Draco as he jumps back.

"You scared the shit out of me Potter and who?" Draco asks playing dumb.

"You know who Malfoy, he who must not be named." I say through my teeth mocking everyone scared to say his name.

"Look Potter whoever you think was here wasn't." I go to protest but he puts his hand up stopping me and carrying on "but if you insist you think you know who was here, they are gone and not coming back, so you can go back to your beauty sleep."   
As I go to say something Draco buts in saying "goodnight Potter" and walking past into his room and shutting his door.

Huffing, I shut my door and storm over to my bed. I can't believe he won't admit that Voldermort was here, I literally heard his voice. My anger starts altering to fear as I let it all seep in. Voldermort was actually here but did he leave? Did Draco lock the front door? Yeah I heard him do it, it's fine. Trying to convince myself I curl up in bed pulling the covers up to my chin and just when I feel myself falling asleep I think of the back door. Is the back door locked? Draco never locked it. But his mother and father wouldn't leave it unlocked would they? And neither me or Draco have been out the back door so it's fine, it's locked. Pulling the covers completely over my head I squeeze my eyes shut waiting for my brain to shut off so I can fall into sleep.  
After what feels like hours, I feel my body relax before I fall asleep.   
I'm awoken only minutes later by a yell, Dracos yell, followed by a thud. Springing up I run to my desk grabbing my wand and heading out the door.   
Sprawled on the floor in front of me is Draco gripping his arm in agony. "Draco what happened are you oka-" then I notice it, the tall figure standing to my right.  
Twisting my body fast to face it I hold up my wand, Voldermort.

"What did you do to him?" I shout but he simply laughs.

"Oh Harry, young naive Harry, you really think you can destroy me?" Voldermort mocks me and just as I am about to say something his wand shoots up as he shouts "Expelliarmus" knocking my wand right out my hand and to the other side of the hallway.   
"Gosh Harry, your getting frightfully slow, I thought you would have predicted that, being the chosen one and all." Voldermort laughs and I feel my hatred grow for him as I realise he is right, how did I not see that coming?

"I never wanted to do it this way, but I guess it has to be done." Voldermort says before shouting "Avada Kedavra."

"NO!" I shout covering my arms over my head.

Just then I wake up in a cold sweat, my heart thumping like mad. It was just a dream, it was just a dream. I pull the covers off my head for air as I try to control my intense breathing rate. Just seconds later Draco bursts into my room "Potter?!" His face is covered with concern as he runs to my bed. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"Nothing." I say bluntly laying down and turning away from him, knowing the blonde will mock me for my nightmare.   
"Something clearly happened, Potter! Don't ignore me." Draco says angrily pulling my body to face him.

Huffing I sit up looking into his eyes, "you'll make fun of me." I say looking down.

"Why would I make fun of you?" He laughs confused.

"You just will." I snap crossing my arms like an annoyed 4 year old.

"I won't, I promise." He says softening his voice before grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards to face me.

"I just-" I start unsure whether or not I should tell him. "I just, I had a bad dream."

"A bad dream?" Draco practically shouts laughing.

"I told you!" I snap again going to lay down but he grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm not good with this stuff, what happened." Draco says, apologetically trying to suppress his smile, but I can't tell if it is genuine or not.

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head I tell him of my dream and when I'm done he sits looking at me with his mouth wide open.

"I am so sorry." Draco whispers.

"What?" I ask him confused.

"If I had just told you who was here and why you probably wouldn't of had this nightmare and I'm so sorry, ah I'm such an idiot-" Draco rushes out but I touch his hand stopping him. He looks down at our hands and I quickly take mine away.

"It's not your fault ok, calm down, although, can you maybe tell me why he was here, it may put my mind at ease." I ask nervously.

"Yeah, well basically when my father isn't here over summer, Voldermort-"he stops making sure I'm fine with the mention of him name and I nod telling him I don't mind. "well he comes here to look after me a such and each year he tells me how great being a death eater would be and although I always say I'm not ready, he won't hurt me, I am to valuable to be killed off, well that's what he said anyway."

I stay quite for a second, thinking of this new information that has been presented to me, although I am at high alert and scared for my life I have to ask "do you want to talk about it?"

Scanning my face for answers, Draco watches me puzzled. "What?" He finally asks.

"You may not admit it Malfoy but I know you don't want to be a death eater, I don't mean to cross a line here but I just wondered if you wanted to talk about it, to a non-death eater." I explain slightly nervous of his response. Despite the strong disliking and rivalry that has grown over the years to this particular Slytherin boy, I always knew he didn't want this life, maybe when he was young yes, but now, I know he doesn't. He is just a boy with an awful father and no choice.

Draco tenses for a second but soon returns to a relaxed stance, "thank you Potter but you need your sleep, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he returns the chair to the desk and walks out the door closing it behind him.  
I had expected him to not want to talk about it but I did not expect him to act so calm. Maybe this year would be different, maybe Draco was changing?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw  
> There is mention of blood and a nightmare in this chapter

For the next few days I continue to have the same dream but different. The story line, if you like, is the same, Draco yells and falls with a thud, I rush to the door with my wand to find him on the floor, Voldermort tries to kill me, but the difference is, each time Draco's injuries get worse.  
On the very first night, it was just a broken arm, on the second night, it was a broken arm with cuts all down it, on the third night the arm was the same but he also had multiple broken ribs and last night, the injuries were the same, broken cut up arm and broken ribs but his face and neck had big gashes on them and there was an especially large one across his throat.  
Every night Draco would run in to comfort me and tell me it's fine and it was just a dream but as soon as day came, he was the same cocky, rude and mean boy I've always known and despised, although I'm not sure despised is the right word anymore.  
Our days normally consisted of getting ready, eating breakfast, exploring the rooms of the great house that were not off limits, well I would anyway, eating lunch, spending time in our rooms, at this time I would usually right to Ron and Hermione, Draco has been sending the letters for me, eating dinner and going to bed.

Walking downstairs for breakfast I see Draco at the bottom waiting for me. "You got a letter." He says emotionlessly passing me the envelope as I reach him. I really don't like this emotionless Draco, I can deal with the cruel remarks but not the emotionlessness, it's not him, but why should I care, I shouldn't should I? But I do.

Holding the letter up I read Draco's name written across it and confused I quickly walk after the blonde, "this isn't mine."

"Yes it is, I wrote on your letter to Ron and Hermione telling them to address it as Draco Malfoy not Harry Potter." Draco explains sitting down at the great table.

"But it could be yours, couldn't it?" I ask.

"No, I don't get letters." He replies and I realise why his mood has changed into what it is, he doesn't want to show any emotion even though he is upset he does not receive letters. I really want to ask him if he is ok but decide against it not wanting to put him in a worse mood.  
The day flies by in a blur and it's not till after dinner that I decide to read the letter.

To Harry,

Ello Harry, Hermione told me to write you this letter, she said something about not bringing suspicions or whatever. Anyway she told me to tell you she has received your letters and is glad Draco isn't too dreadful, oh yeah and she said something about her holiday is great, the animals are fascinating, there is lots of snow blah blah blah.

I really wish you could be here Harry, Fred and George have already got on mum's last nerve doing magic now that they are allowed to do it out of school. On the first day of being off they turned Ginny into a mouse and it was hilarious, mum was fuming and Ginny had a right hissy fit over it afterwards.

Hope your well, so sorry you couldn't come this year, miss you mate.

Ron

I laugh to myself at the contents from the letter and decide I'm going to write to Hermione first thing in the morning telling her to write the next letter so I can hear more about her holiday, honestly I'm surprised she even let Ron write it.  
Yawing I rise from the desk chair and change into my pajamas before slipping into bed. I lay there for a while thinking of all the possible outcomes of tonight's dreams, all the different injuries Draco could have tonight. When I think of everything I can, I try sleeping, not at all prepared for what tonight's nightmare shall bring.

I fall asleep almost straight away but wake to the most heartbreaking sound I have ever heard, Draco shouting in pain then falling to the floor with a thud. Shooting up I run to my desk, grab my wand then swing open the door. Laying in front of me is Draco, clutching his ribs and arm, blood spurting out of his mouth as he coughs, cuts covering every showing part of his body. Just then I notice it, the tall figure standing to my right.  
Twisting my body fast to face it I hold up my wand, Voldermort.

"What did you do to him?" I shout but he simply laughs.

"Oh Harry, young naive Harry, you really think you can destroy me?" Voldermort mocks me and just as I am about to say something his wand shoots up as he shouts "Expelliarmus" knocking my wand right out my hand and to the other side of the hallway.

"Gosh Harry, your getting frightfully slow, I thought you would have predicted that, being the chosen one and all." Voldermort laughs and I feel my hatred grow for him as I realise he is right, how did I not see that coming.  
"I never wanted it to end like this but, what can I do?" Voldermort says before shouting "Avada Kedavra."

"NO!" I shout covering my arms over my head. But after the spell was cast I notice, I am not dead. Looking up I see Voldermort grinning and evil grin "really thought it would be that easy Potter?" And with that he disappeared.

Suddenly I realise the silence that has spread through the large house, Draco!  
Swinging my body round, Draco lay before me, not moving a single muscle. No no no this can't be happening.  
Rushing to his side I kneel down bring my fingers to his throat to feel a heary beat but nothing, Draco's dead.  
Hands trembling I shake Draco as tears begin to roll down my cheeks.

"Wake up Malfoy, wake up god dam it!" I feel anger boil inside me that he isn't waking up. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up...wake u-up." My voice gets quieter and quieter as it truly seeps in that he won't wake up.

"Why do you care so much Harry?" A voice, Voldermort's voice whispers into my ear. "Let him die, it won't make a difference."

"Your wrong!" I shout turning abruptly around to be met only with my door. Slowly turning myself back to the Slytherin sprawled out on the floor I beg again, "please...Draco you can't leave me, you just can't, i-i- please Draco." I lay my head on his chest holding him tight. "Please."

Suddenly I feel strong arms shaking me "Potter! Potter!" A voice so very familiar calls out, but I ignore it, blocking it out, refusing to let go of Draco. "Potter come on!" The voice says along with something inaudible.

"No!" I snap. "I can't leave him here, I have to stay."

The shaking continues and the voice continues to call my name untill finally...I wake up.  
Draco! I look up to see Draco's confused worried eyes looking into mine. Before I know what I'm doing I spring up wrapping my arms around him and burying my head in his shoulder as sobs leave my mouth. He hesitates a second before embracing me back.  
Rubbing my back he whispers words of comfort into my ears before I sluggishly pull away. "I'm sorry." I whisper sitting back on the bed.

"You don't have to be sorry Potter, you did nothing wrong." Draco soothingly says placing his hand on top of mine sending shivers down my spine. "I do have a question though. When you called out my name, you said Draco, you haven't don't that before, did something else happen, I couldn't wake you either, you said 'I can't leave him' or something, what happened?" Draco keeps his voice soft as he rubs his thumb across my knuckles.

"Well everything was the same, all the injuries, expect you had a lot of cuts now, so many more." I shudder at the memory. "You know the rest up until Voldermort says the killing curse and you know how I told you I thought he was going to kill me as his wand was pointed at me well, I didn't die instead..." I trail off as I think of the events that are still sore in my brain like fresh wounds. "Well he killed you instead, it wasn't until after he had disappeared that I realised you were, well you know. It all felt so real, the other dreams felt real but not like this one." I finish looking into Draco's sympathetic eyes.

Instantly he pulls me back into a hug, standing between my legs so my face is buried in his chest. "It's ok Harry, I'm here, I'm fine." My breath catches as he says my name, he says it so...well? The feeling is hard to explain but I know it sends butterflies to my stomach.  
A small sob leaves my lips as everything plays back in my head, turning around to see Draco laying lifeless, checking his pulse and feeling nothing, not wanting to let go of him. Pulling his body away from mine slightly, Draco cups my face in his hands wiping away a tear from my cheek. "It's ok, morning will be here soon, would you like to get some sleep, I could stay in here a while if you like?"

"I don't wanna be a pain." I reply feeling the colour rise to my cheeks.

"Honestly, it's fine, I never really sleep anyways." Draco chuckles and I've certainly noticed his lack of sleep, his eyes are always red with great bags beneath them, I wonder why he didn't sleep here, he seems like he gets sleep at Hogwarts. Shaking it off I look into his eyes smiling.

"Thank you." And with that he grabs the desk chair so he can sit next to me whilst I climb into bed, pulling the covers up tight but leaving my arms out, as I always do. As I shut my eyes I feel Draco's hand lace through mine and I have to fight with myself not to smile or blush at his touch.

I know it won't last but I like this Draco, I really do, this sweet, warm hearted Draco who cares, it's nice to see his this way, not under his father's control.

As I fall asleep again, the dark lord's voice repeats in my head, over and over "why do you care so much Harry?"


	6. Chapter 6

I wake up to the sun beaming through the gap in the curtains. Groaning I rub my eyes then look down at my hand, Draco's is no longer there.   
Of course it's not, why did I expect it to be? He probably left to go to sleep.   
Swinging my legs off the bed, I feel alot happier and more energised than I have over the last few days, which honestly is quite surprising.  
Walking over to my desk I quickly write a letter to Hermione and Ron before getting ready.   
After showering and changing I practically skip down the stairs and into the dining room where I find Draco already seated.   
"Good morning!" I smile, more cheerfully than I had intended receiving an eye roll from Draco. "Someone's got their knickers in a twist." I say more to myself but he unfortunately hears.

"Do you ever shut your big gob Potter?!" Draco growls.

"What the fuck?" I hate this Draco.

"What?!" He snaps finally looking up from the table.

"You can be such a pain in the arse you know that?" I roll my eyes leaning against the door frame.

"Oh yeah and how is that?!" He shouts louder than I had expected.

"No, you know what I'm not wasting another word on you Malfoy, I'll be upstairs." I huff turning on my heels and storming out.

"Come back here now Potter!" Draco hisses abruptly pushing his chair out and following me.

"Oh yeah and why should I?!" I snap stopping directly in my path and swinging my body to face Draco. I didn't realise how hot on my heels Draco was until now, he is right in front of me our faces just inches apart.

"Because I said so Potter!" He grits through his teeth leaning closer to me and I take a step back but he only takes another step forward. We continue this until I feel my back press against the front door.

"Now, are you going to tell me how I am being such a pain in the arse?" He asks a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Well-um-uh." I stutter but finally feel the rage build up and I push him hard making him stumble back. "I just don't get it!" I hiss. "One minute your all 'ooh it's ok Potter, I'm here for you' and the next, as soon as day comes around, you become such a brat." Although I notice Draco's eyes travel to my lips as he intensely watches me I continue my rant. "I think it's dam ridiculous, could you just not be a decent person during the day for once in your god dam-" suddenly he cuts me off.  
"Shut the fuck up" he growls grabbing my face, forcefully pushing my body against the door and pressing his lips hard onto mine.

I stand still as a statue for a split second before melting into the kiss "Draco-" I sigh trying to be angry with him but he just chuckles against my lips softening the kiss and sending shivers throughout my whole body.

Draco pulls away from the kiss leaning his forehead against mine and smirking "that'll teach you to keep your mouth shut." He snickers raising his eyebrows then lowering them again.   
I stand there breathless looking into Draco's beautiful grey eyes. After stealing one last lingering kiss, Draco walks back to the dining room smugly, a smirk indented on his face.  
Completely clueless to what just happened, I stand there mouth open trying to catch my breath. What the fuck!?

Rushing to the room I'm staying in a lay down in the bed looking up, holy shit, Draco fucking Malfoy just kissed me, like he actually kissed me. Dam his lips were so cold but sent warmth through me with there soft gentle touch. I lay there replaying the moment in my head over and over until I realise something, I liked it. That can't be possible, maybe I just liked the kiss but not him, do I like him? After my dream and how I couldn't bare to see him like that I knew I felt something but I didn't know what so I pushed it away thinking it was the best thing to do but then he goes and does that. My head will surely explode if I try to push that away too but I really don't want to like him, he is a Malfoy after all.

Why did he have to kiss me? God I hate that boy, that boy with his perfect white hair, and his perfect grey eyes and his perfect li-no stop. I don't like him, it's just the adrenaline that's all and I was only so afraid to loose him because he has been my enemy since we were 11, there is alot of history there.

But what if I do like him, would that be so bad? Argh, I'll just try take a nap.  
After around a 15 minutes of tossing and turning, I stretch and get up lazily heading to the bathroom. Turning the handle I walk straight in but stop dead in my tracks as I see Draco stood before me. 

His legs covered by the towel that is wrapped around his slim waist, his thin upper body is covered in water droplets making the slight outline of his toned stomach pop out.   
"Like what you see Potter?" Draco chuckles and I look up to see that dreadful smirk of his making me scowl but that soon fades as I now admire his face. His hair is dripping onto his perfect face, oh god his hair looks so good wet, and his cute little dimples sitting beautifully on his face by his big grin. "Potter" Draco repeats and I finally snap out of it looking to the floor.

"Sorry um- I'll go- um yeah that's a good idea- I'll be in the-my-um room- ok- um bye." I blurt out quickly turning and hurrying back to my room shutting the door behind me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw mention of alcohol misuse and eating an eating disorder

I spend the rest of the day, up until lunch, lying in bed replaying the moments from today in my head and thinking about my feelings for the blonde boy who I've despised for so long.

Would it be so bad to have fallen for a boy? No, maybe in other people's eyes I would but in mine, no. Would it be so bad that that boy just so happens to be Draco Malfoy? Well...yes. 

Groaning I pull myself out of the bed and head downstairs for lunch. I enter the dining room expecting to see Draco already sat there but he is no where to be seen. I decide to wait a little while, picking at the food until 15 minuets have passed "Timmy!" I call and the house elf arrives within seconds.

"Yes Mr Potter." He says politely, eyeing the food I have barely touched and the empty seat across from me.

"Did Malfoy request to have his lunch in his room today?" I ask feeling a slight sadness in the pit of my stomach.

Timmy thinks for a second before replying "no, he did not." As he says the words panic takes over small Timmy's face. "Why did he say that he did? Was I not listening when he told Timmy? Timmy is so sorry."

"No no no, you did nothing wrong Timmy, it seems he did not request it." I reply trying to comfort him.

"Then where is master Draco?" Timmy looks at me confused.

"I'm not sure, I'm going to check he is ok." I tell him getting up and walking out the room. "And don't worry Timmy, I won't enter his room." I call out, knowing the look of worry on small Timmy's face. Walking up stairs I think of all the possible reasons he wasn't at lunch. Was it because he was not hungry? No it couldn't have been, even if he doesn't eat anything he always joins me for the 3 meals of a day. Oh no, was it because I accidentally walked in on him in the bathroom? It could be. Was he annoyed I didn't knock? Well I guess we are about to find out.   
Standing outside Draco's door I take a deep breath before knocking, "Malfoy, are you coming down for lunch?" I ask but when I hear no reply I decide to talk a bit louder. "Malfoy, are you coming for lunch?" Still nothing.   
Banging on the door again, this time louder I shout "Malfoy! Are you coming to lunch?!" Still nothing. Growing a bit angry I can't help the stern tone in my voice "you better not be ignoring me Malfo-"  
Suddenly the door swings open to reveal Draco, although he did not look like himself, in some ways or another. His hair, which was usually neatly swept into curtains, was messy, his eyes were almost completely closed, as though he were about to fall asleep, his body was swaying and his shirt was untucked, Draco never really tended to wear casual clothes.

Looking to his hand I see the answer to all my questions.   
I watch his face disappointed and he pouts. "Don't give me that look Potter." He slurs. "Don't look so disappointed in me, you gotta loosen up yanno." He says grabbing my upper arm. "You gotta have some fuuuun." The blonde raising his hands in the air, as though he was cheering and takes another sip of the achohol.

"I do not class getting this bloody drunk as fun." I say sternly my eyes not leaving his and Draco grabs his head in agony before bring a finger to his lips to shush me. "Malfoy, please give me the bottle." I demand, lowering my voice slightly.

"Nope." He giggles turning around and walking further into his room and plopping down on his bed. "Ha ha can't get me now Potter."

Weighing out my options of I either don't go in the room and Draco drinks more which could lead to something bad happening or I go in and deal with him having a go at me for it tomorrow. Clenching my jaw I go with my second option walking in just as Draco goes to take another swig of the fire whiskey he is drinking straight from the bottle making me scrunch up my face.  
Edging closer I go to grab it but he notices my presence now in the room before I can get to the bottle. "Oooh so you had the balls to come in then did ya Potter?" He starts giggling profusely like a child.

"What's so funny?" I ask getting a bit agitated.

"What a strange word Potter, P...o...tah." he replies causing more giggles to erupt from him and I choose this as the best opportunity to take the bottle from the blonde boy but even in his state he is too quick whipping the bottle out of my reach. "Want the bottle do ya Potter, well your gonna have to come get it." Draco teases jumping up on his bed and spilling a bit of the drink on it.

Rolling my eyes I reach for the bottle but he just jumps off the bed watching me with a grin on his face, the one you would see on a child when it just got the most amazing present in the world, of course, I never really felt like that as a small child but saw it on Dudley.

I cautiously step towards him and he runs away giggling some more. I chase him for what feels like ages but in reality is around 2 minuets before I grab the bottle from his hand.   
He stands looking at me gobsmacked then stomps over to the bed plopping himself down in a huff.

I chuckle at this child like boy then watch as his features soften into a sad expression. "You wanna know something Potter?" Draco asks looking at me with his beautiful grey eyes and I simply shrug not knowing what else to do. "I don't like it here." He tells me looking at the floor. "So much bad has happened here and it doesn't feel like home anymore, I can't remember what home feels like." My heart aches for the boy sat in front of me, the boy who is going through the exact pain I once endured. "I just wish, I had a normal family, I love my mother...and father dearly but not in the way I should. I love my mother because she is my mother but I sometimes feel the main reason is because she is the only source of comfort I have you know? My father on the other hand" Draco sighs before carrying on. "Well I love him out of respect and due to the fact I have to.... What is love Harry?" Draco asks and no longer see the 15 year old boy sat in front of me anymore, no I see Draco as a small boy looking into the eyes of his father, whom he thought was a good man asking what love is.

I try to get my words out but I simply don't know how to answer this question. I know what love is, I've felt love, with my god father, Sirius Black, and with my two best friends, Hermione and Ron and potentially with the boy sat still looking into my eyes, but I can't put it into words. Luckily, Draco passes out falling flat on the bed before I have to actually answer.   
Walking to Draco I carefully lift him into my arms surprised by just how light he is, I mean I expected him to be light but not this light. Holding onto one of his arms tightly to make sure he doesn't fall while I pull his duvet cover I feel how skinny his arms have got. Oh Draco. 

Carefully placing him in his bed I pull the covers up over his slim body and sit beside the sleeping boy. I do feel for him, so greatly, he has never had a perfect life and I know it. Yes, he had the power, yes he had the riches, yes he had a beautiful home, well house, home is where you feel safe, I don't think he feels that here, but what he didn't have was a loving father. A father who would actually put in the effort to know his son, a father who truly cared for him.  
Sighing I move the hair that lay on his forehead, letting my hand fun down his soft, pale face, before getting up and leaving. 

But as I am about to walk out I notice something, something that shatters my heart into pieces. A big pile of bottles in corner of his room behind the door. Each alcohol bottle was covered in dust, not enough dust to be really old but enough to be around a years old, I guess this answers my question of whether this drinking situation was something that had come around recently or not.


	8. Chapter 8

As quiet as I possibly can, careful not the wake the sleeping boy, I tidy away all of the bottles that lay in the pile, my heart aching more and more as the bottles trail behind Draco's set of drawers. Why is it he drunk this much, I'm guessing last summer, what caused him enough pain he resorted to drinking.   
Draco never struck me as someone who would drink underage, he always told us it was irresponsible and would kill us off when we would sneak it into Hogwarts. 

Slipping back out of the room with a great bag of bottles I smile to myself, proud that I didn't wake him once and he only stirred a couple of times.  
Taking the bag downstairs I summon Timmy telling him to get rid of it before preparing a hangover potion for Draco when he wakes up. I got the recipe off of Seamus a few weeks back and luckily it doesn't take me long to complete. Checking the time I see it is already 5 in the evening.

"Timmy!" I call out and the house elf is in front of me within seconds.

"Yes Mr Potter?" Timmy asks rather politely for an elf who gets so badly treated by his master, Lucius, not Draco, which I can tell by his worn...sheet he wears as clothing.

"Please may you bring me some food to my room, Malfoy is sleeping so let him be and when he starts to stir come get me, even if I'm asleep. Oh, and when Malfoy does wake could you please make him some fried food then bring it to his room." I tell the house elf who nods and with a snap is gone. I used to make fried food for my uncle when he would have a night out, he said it would help so I only hope it will work with Draco.  
Walking up to my room with the potion in my hand I decide to write to Hermione and Ron, telling them only of when I walked in on Draco in the bathroom by accident, not including the unnecessary thoughts that flee through my head. By the time I had finished the letter, Timmy was in my room with a tray of food.  
"Thank you Timmy." I say as he places the tray on my bed then disappears.   
The rest of the night goes by in a blur as I'm stuck in thought and before I know it I'm drifting off to sleep.

"Mr Potter." I hear a voice say softly and I open my eyes to reveal Timmy staring straight at me. Startled I jump slightly then sit up rubbing my eyes. Day light streams through the gap in the dark curtain so I'm guessing it's morning. "Master Draco is awake." Timmy tells me taking a step back.

"Thank you Timmy, please may you fetch me a tray." I smile and he nods.

"Oh and a glass of water too please." I request and Timmy nods again snapping away. He returns within seconds a tray and glass of water in his hands. Reaching for them I say "Thank you Timmy, that's all, and don't forget the fried food."

"I have already made that Mr Potter, here." Timmy taps tray and a plate of fried food with a knife and fork appears on it.

Putting the potion and water on the tray too I head to Draco's room. Taking a deep breath I balance the tray on one hand, knock on Draco's door turning the knob as I open the door slightly "I'm coming in."   
As I open it wider I see Draco's eyes quickly glance where the bottles once lay and a confused look takes over his face when he sees they are no longer there. "What are you doing, get out my room Potter?!" Draco spits, obviously not in a good mood from the hangover, and he quickly sits up but instantly grips his head in pain.

"Oh calm down Malfoy, not the first time I've been in here." I roll my eyes walking further into the room. "And before you say anything, when you were drunk out your bloody mind last night I had to come in and you didn't stop me."

"Oh." He simply says leaning against the head board of his king sized bed. Walking over I place the tray beside him.

"Drink this." I demand handing Draco the potion and he stares at me for a second, obviously not liking the fact that I am bossing him about, before snatching the bottle from my hand and dowing it.   
I try my hardest to hide my laugh as Draco gags at the taste and quicky gulps down the water.

"What's this for?" Draco finally asks pointing to the food.

"Fried food, it's supposed to help with a hangover."I tell him.

"I don't have a hangover and I don't need you babying me." Draco huffs, although he continues to eye the food.

"I'm not babying you so just eat the bloody food." I roll my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No." He replies raising his eyebrows.

"You are such a pain in the arse you know that?" I glare at him.

"Yes I believe you've told me before." Draco smirks and my stomach flips at the mention of events only hours prior.

"Yeah well-whatever um I'm gonna sit right here until your done so, um eat up." I stutter sitting at Draco's desk.

"Fine, but you are a pain in the arse as well Potter, you know that." He says slightly mocking my words and I just give him a 'yeah I know' look.  
Draco looks at the food wearily and starts to pick at it so I redirect my eyes elsewhere, admiring his room. 

His room is very different to the one I'm staying in, he has a lot more green giving it more colour and instead of greys he just has black, even his wooden desk is black with a dark green seat. My eyes travel around the room until they land on a small picture frame on top of his wardrobe. It looks to be a picture of him and his mother, they are both smiling, a very rare occurrence and very unlike the family portrait downstairs.  
Draco awkwardly clears his throat making me tear my eyes from the photo.   
"I-i really can't eat anymore." He tells me shyly looking down and I give him a funny look but I decide not to push it, he has eaten around a quarter of it.

"Malfoy?" I ask not really sure what I actually want to say.

"Yes?" Draco questions raising an eyebrow.

"Let me help you." I blurt out not knowing where that came from or where it will lead me.

"Excuse me?" He asks completely and utterly confused.

"I just I guess after what you told me last night-" I start but Draco interjects.

"What? What did I tell you?!" He shouts a little startling me.

"Um well just about family stuff and you said this didn't feel like home." I explain nervously.

And he watches me for a second, then realisation slips over his face, like he has it all figured out, he really doesn't.  
"Of course you want to help! The boy who lived wants to help the poor death eaters son, what a great headline. You don't always have to be the hero Potter." Draco scoffs. "And definitely not for me."

I stare at him, anger boiling inside me. "Are you being serious right now?! Oh this is brilliant." I rise to my feet rolling my eyes. "You really think I want to be your hero? Because I don't! I just thought that because I know how you felt I could help you." I take a few steps closer to Draco's bed. "But of bloody course Draco Malfoy doesn't need help from anyone, does he?! You really anger me Malfoy, you really bloody do." I take another few steps forward, stopping at the side of his bed so I can look down on him. "I don't always do everything for myself!"

"Oh yeah, then who are you doing it for Potter?!" Draco scowls back.

"You!" I snap my breathing becoming uneasy.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco scans my face, clearly shook. "W-what?"

Slowing my breathing down I sigh, "I wanna help you Malfoy, please just let."

"Ok." He breathes.

"Ok?" I ask taken by surprise at how quickly he gave in.

"Ok." He repeats making me smile.   
We stay like this for a while, staring into eachothers eyes lost so deeply in them before Draco finally speaks. "Potter."

"Yes Malfoy?" I ask not taking me eyes away from his.

"Come lay with me." He requests and I stare at him startled. "I won't bite." Draco laughs patting the space next to him.

"Why?" I ask him raising my eyebrow while giving me a funny look.

"Cause I said so and I always get what I want." He replies in a snobby tone and I role my eyes chuckling.  
Hesitating, I sit down next to Draco and he slips down the headboard so he is lying down and I mimick him.

"Malfoy, can I ask you something." I ask staring at the ceiling and I here him hum in response. "You don't have to answer but I was thinking earlier I know why you drunk before, I think, but why were you drinking earlier?"

Draco shifts his body nervously then takes a deep breathe before explaining, "well you see-um- you know after you-you walked in on me in the bathroom." I feel blush spread across my cheeks as he recalls the incident. "Yeah well I guess after that, or actually it was before that when I um kissed you." God dammit Draco, butterflies rush to my stomach. "When you were shouting at me I just had this sudden urge to kiss you but after that I blamed it on the heat of the moment." My stomach drops. "But then when you yanno walked in on me and the way you looked at me and the way it made me feel I guess I figured out then that..." He trails off thinking for a moment.

"Yeah?" I push, wanting so badly to know what he is going to say.

"Ah screw it, I guess there is no better way to say this." Draco rolls over to face me and I do the same. "Potter, I like you, like really bloody like you, in ways I had never imagined and when I figured this out, actually that's a bit of I lie, I've always known but never admitted it, anyway, I'm just rambling now, I didn't know how to react, and I definitely didn't want to know how my father would react if he ever found out so...I went to drinking, it's kind of my like comfort."  
I lay there looking into the eyes of a boy, who I felt I had never met before, completely and utterly speechless. Suddenly Draco's eyes fill with fear and he quickly turns to face the ceiling again "I'm so stupid I knew you wouldn't feel the same, just forget it ok, it meant nothing, I never said it." He snaps but I just place my hand on his face moving it to face me then press my lips to his and I love the way they fit so perfectly together but the moment doesn't last long as the realisation of why this could NEVER work dawns upon me and I quickly pull away. Shooting up into a sitting position I stare forward bewildered before scrambling out of Draco's bed and heading for the door but I don't get far as his small cold hand stops me whirling me back around.   
"Where are you going?" He asks me and I look into his eyes as they gloss over.   
Tearing my eyes away from his knowing that if I stare into them for even a second longer I will surely break. "Malfoy, we-this can never happen and I think you know that." And with that I free my hand from his and leave his bedroom shutting the door behind me.  
I don't want to hurt him, I really don't but I can't do this, I can't love him, I can't be with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't realise how fast paced this is, sorry. Also sorry how short the chapters are.


	10. Chapter 10

*Draco's POV*

As I watch Harry leave I feel completely and utterly stupid. Of course he wouldn't like me back, why would he? How could I have been so naive? Harry is a Potter, perfect fucking Potter and I'm a Malfoy, son of a death eater, son of a man who works for Lord Voldermort himself. How could I possibly be so stupid? Why do I even bloody care anyway? There is nothing special about Potter, yet it still pains me. Maybe it's because it's my first time being rejected, I'm usually the one doing the rejecting? Or maybe it's due to the fact I have been in love with that bloody idiot since the moment I set eyes on him?

As I settle myself back down, I hear the door to my father's great manor open and close and I shoot up causing a pain to rush to my head, luckily that retched potion Potter gave me is started to sink in so my head doesn't hurt as much as it did earlier. I start climbing out of my bed but stop myself, what am I doing? Why am I going after Potter? I don't need to go chasing after him, if he is out to long I will look for him and make sure he isn't dead, imagine that, headline of the newspaper "Harry Potter dies while staying at Malfoy Manor." I scoff, rolling my eyes at the idea. Laying myself back down I try to take a quick nap but can't settle and after 30 long, dragging minutes I get up, go downstairs, grab my keys and head out the front door in search for Potter.  
I looked everywhere I could but I couldnt find him anywhere, I even went into the forest in front of our house but there was no sign of him.  
Looking up I see it's starting to get dark so I decide to head back, maybe he went back, hopefully he got cold and came back to the house, maybe he is still out here. I feel sick at the thought that he may still be out here, hurt and alone but I push the feeling down. I will walk in and he'll be there, we'll argue and go to our rooms, yep that's what will happen. Despite how much I try to convince myself he is safe I still fear for him.   
By the time I get back the sun has almost completely set and when I go to unlock the door it is already unlocked. Strange, maybe Potter took the spare key when he left. Shrugging it off I head to the dining room seeing a light on in it and I prepare to shout at Harry as I walk in but instead I stop dead in my tracks as I see not only Harry but also my mother sat at the dining table.

"Mum-what are you doing here?" I blurt out completely lost for words at the sight before me.

Laughing she gets up walking over and hugging my stiff body but I soon loosen up, embracing her back "no, 'Hello mum, good to see you?'" She pulls away looking into my eyes and smiling before sitting back at the table and changing her expression from soft to stern. "Now, back to what I'm here for. I was looking at the security cameras, checking up on you to make sure you were ok, and to my suprise I see you dining with a boy, who from the back, did not look like Vincent or Gregory so I waited and was shocked to see it was Harry Potter himself. Instantly I of course deleted all the footage, told your father the cameras were faulty and said I was coming back to check on you, he complied and here I am. Draco, what on earth were you thinking inviting a Potter here? Do you have any idea how your father would react?" My mother's voice is filled with, anger, confusion and worry.

Scoffing and rolling my eyes despite the growing sickness in my stomach of the thought of my father finding out I reply, "like it was actually my own choice, Harry had no where to go this Summer or something so he went to see Dumbledoor and I just so happened to be waking past so long story short Dumbledoor said he would reward Slytherin 150 points if I allowed Potter to stay here." I explain shrugging slightly.

My mother watches me for a second before finally replying, "ok, that was a good thing for you to do Draco, letting him stay here, now Harry, you may stay here but we have to figure out a way so that Lucius does not see you on the cameras." What, why is she being so calm about all this, why is she not furious with me? Why does she seem like she holds no hatred towards Harry?

"Well um, the Weasley twins did tell me about a spell where you can't be see on the camera you wish not to be seen on." Harry politely murmurs in respond, of course the Weasley twins would know that.

"Ah yes, I am familiar, give me around 10-20 minutes and it will be done." My mother smiles and with that she says a spell pointing her wand at Harry then repeats the spell with every camera in the house and sure enough within 20 minutes she is joining an awkward Harry and I back in the dining room. "All done!" She announces proudly. "Right, I better go, come see me off Draco, goodbye Harry."

"Goodbye Mrs Malfoy, safe travels." Harry politely responds giving my mother a small wave before I lead her to the front door.

"Charming boy isn't he?" She smiles hugging me.

"Why are you acting like this? Like you actually like Potter?" I ask after pulling away from the hug.

"Well...he seems to be a very good friend of yours now." She smirks, winking as she pokes my shoulder lightly, what does she mean...oh no, no please say she didn't.

"Just how much did you see on those cameras?" I ask dread flooding me.

"Enough." She continues to smirk before changing to a concerned look. "Draco, I want you to know, I support you no matter what, but your father can't hear about this so make sure you are making the absolute right decision ok?"

"Mother please, nothing happened there, it was a stupid mistake, I want to forget all about it." I huff rolling my eyes.

"Is that the absolute right decision Draco, to forget it?" She asks and with that places a small kiss on my cheek before opening the door and leaving, closing the great thing behind her and leaving me completely stunned as I walk back into the dining room.

"Oh don't look so sad Potter, no one's rejected you today?" I scoff rolling my eyes and walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water where he follows me.

"I-i- just thought...do you not want me here?" He asks and the sadness in his voice aches my heart, god what has happened to me, my heart doesn't ache for anyone, especially Potter. "Did none of what happened mean anything to you? Did the kiss mean nothing or the words you said to me, did that mean nothing to you and was it all just a mistake?"

He's got to be kidding right? "Are you joking? You really think none of that meant anything to me?" I snap. "Potter, do you even know me at all? Do I go around kissing people I see because they annoy me? No I don't, I don't open up to anyone so don't even for one second try accuse me of feeling nothing towards what happened! But clearly it meant nothing to you and you know what, yet a-fucking-gain Potter, you were right, this could never happen and I see that now, very clearly." I growl. "And you know what, I think we should forget everything that happened don't you?" He goes to answer but I cut in quickly. "It was a rhetorical question Potter. Anyway, look, the kiss never happened, everything I said never happened and the second kiss never happened, ok? Never happened."

Harry looks at me for a second obviously shocked "b-but, no, Malfoy, I feel everything back."

"I'm sorry Potter, I don't know what your talking about, there was no feelings ever there." I say pretending to be confused.

"Malfoy-"

"Stop!" I snap. "Nothing you say will change anything so just stop, ok? Nothing ever happened." And as I walk past him he grabs my arm.

"I will stop if you can promise me one thing." Harry says looking deep into my eyes. "Promise me you won't drink."

I stare at him, my expression not altering then I sigh nodding my head trying to pull away from his grip but it just tightens "say it Malfoy." Harry pleads and I roll my eyes.

"I promise I won't drink." I say as softly as possible before leaving the room and heading to my room, not sure what to think or feel.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a super short chapter, sorry.

*Harry's pov*

I stand there, watching him walk away, feeling completely hopeless and annoyed at myself, why did I have to say it could never happen? Sure there would be so many obstacles we would have to over come but we could over come them together...couldn't we? Sighing more aggressively than intended I go to the room that has been allocated for me and flop onto the bed.  
Who was I kidding, me and Malfoy would never work, and we were going too quick, I mean just a few weeks ago I hated his guts and couldn't stand him. This is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, the son of Lucius Malfoy, the man who is a death eater, the man who practically worships the thing that killed my parents. I feel my blood start to boil at the thought of Lucius and he who must not be named.  
Diverting my train of thought back to Draco my blood boils further, that boy made some days a living hell for me, make cruel remarks about my friends and parents and he would always do something to annoy me, he would do absolutely everything in his power to anger me, to get my attention...to get...my...attention. Was Draco cruel just because he wanted me to notice him, to acknowledge his presence? No no I'm being ridiculous, that couldn't possibly be it.  
Just then I hear Draco's door open then close, then open then close, then open then close. What on earth is he doing? This goes on a bit more before he stalks into my room standing by my bed.  
"Can I help you?" I ask looking at my feet, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Yes, I was just wondering where you went earlier, I couldn't find you anywhere and well, quite frankly it's been bugging me." Draco admits not loosing his, I have no interest in you look, despite his words clearly indicate otherwise.

"Ok, um well, I don't really know, I just kept walking then found myself in the forest and walked all different ways not sure where I was going then when I finally came out of the forest I was on a road so just kept walking in the direction I thought was right then your mother picked me up." I shrug like it's no big deal.

"Oh, ok, alright then bye." Draco says leaving but stops at the door turning to face me again. "Potter, don't ever go in that forest again, it isn't safe for you there." And with that he is gone.

That's strange, why did he want to know, and why did he say "it isn't safe for you" and not just "it isn't safe"? I shake it off as nothing and that he just meant it isn't safe before getting ready for bed. I climb on top of my sheets, as the air is becoming very humid at night, and close my eyes, trying not to think of the events of today and finally I drift into a dreamless sleep.

When I finally wake the next morning it is around 10am. Stretching, I get up swinging my door open and heading to the bathroom but as soon as I step out of the room I am staying in I collide straight into Draco sending him to the floor.

"Shit sorry." I apologize holding my hand out to help him up. He goes to reach for it but quickly pulls away, getting up himself.

"It's fine." He replies trying to keep his cool. He stands there awkwardly waiting for me to pass but my feet won't move as my eyes are draw to his outfit.  
Instead of his usual plack skinny jeans or dress trousers, he is wearing slightly baggy black denim short and instead of his usual tight black turtle neck or top, he is wearing a loose white t-shirt that hangs perfectly on his small frame.  
I am completely dazed by this, casual looking outfit when Draco clears his throat and I quickly redirect my eyes to the floor then hurry to the bathroom.  
How long was I staring? Why did he let me stare as long as I did? Why do I have to always embarrass myself?  
Sighing I lock the door, get undressed and hop into the shower. As the water trickles through my dark hair I think about the hell that is going to be the next few weeks. Draco and I are in such a weird place at the minute and I'm pretty sure he hates me which is going to be fun seeing as I still have to live with him for the next few weeks. I mean it's only...god damnit...8 weeks. So much has happened over the past week it feels like I've been here forever, not one bloody week.  
As soon as I am out of the shower and changed I go straight to the room I'm staying in, not wanting to see Draco at all, not if I can help it anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

The next two weeks drag by and it's literal torture. Draco hasn't talked to me once, like at all, and it's killing me. I hate him not talking to me, if I'm honest, I miss his attitude and his smug smile and his constant need to say "Pottah" in the aggressive way he does. I'd do anything to just get a "I hate you" or a "shut up" from him but instead I get the silent treatment, the cold shoulder. He hasn't even been coming down for meals. 

It has been rather boring really, doing nothing but eat, study, write letters to Ron and Hermione, read their letters to me, walk around a bit, sleep, repeat but I've also started drawing again so that's kept me slightly busy. I used to draw, alot actually, but stopped after the 2nd year when my uncle told me it was a waste of time and I was no good then ripped up all my drawings, apart from one I managed to keep, the drawing of Hedwig. After that I never drew again, until now. 

I got bored, so very very bored the other day and I decided to draw a small snake I had found engraved into the corner of the desk in the room I was staying in. I don't like to call it my room because well, I just feel so out of place in it.   
The drawing went very well and I've drawn a few more things but there isn't much to draw in this big manor.

I've decided today I'm going to talk to Draco, I am fed up of us not talking, we don't have to be lovers or whatever, although part of me wishes, in some senses, we could be, I just want to be friends, hell we don't even have to be friends, we can be enemy's for all I care, I just want him to bloody talk to me, and I'm bored out my brain, I want to explore Malfoy Manor a bit more.  
Quickly slipping in the shower I wash myself off and freshen up, giving myself some more time to mentally prepare myself. Pulling on a pair of black jogger shorts and a plain white t-shirt I head down the hall.

Taking a deep breath I finally knock lightly on Draco's door. Nothing. I decide he didn't hear me so I knock louder. Nothing. "Malfoy?!" I call through the door. Nothing. "Malfoy, just open the bloody door will you?!" Nothing. "For the love of Merlin Mal-" I start to shout but I'm cut off as he swings open the door causing me to stumble back. 

Looking down at me slightly, Draco crosses his arms and leans against the frame of his door. 

Regaining myself I finally say "thank you now- actually can I come in it will be easier to talk that way." But he does nothing, he just stands there staring at me with his intense grey eyes. Throwing my hands up I exclaime "why do you have to be so bloody difficult all I wanted to do was ask if we can be friends or something." 

At that something strange lights up in Draco's eyes but instantly disappears, maybe it was never actually there. Sighing dramatically he turns around walking to his bed without a word and I follow him in, sitting at his desk.   
"Ok." I notice he is staring at my outfit which makes me feel slightly self conscious but I shake it off continuing. "I know we left off in a bad place but us not talking isn't going to resolve anything, look we don't even have to be friends, we can be enemy's like we always have but I just..."I blurt out then trail off and he looks at me to finish my sentence so I whisper. "I miss talking to you..."

Rising to his feet and walking over to me with an outstretched hand and a smile on his face he says "friends?"

Reaching out I shake his soft hand smiling back at him. "Friends."

Nodding at me, a smile still plastered on his face, Draco pulls his hand away from mine and sits back on his bed. "So Potter, what would you like to do today?" His mood swings are really giving me whip lash.

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could show me more of Malfoy Manor, maybe the gardens if that's ok?" I ask shrugging slightly.

"Yeah of course." Draco smiles and starts to put his shoes on, god how I missed that smile.

After going to get my shoes, and camera, which I slip into my pocket, I put them on and meet Draco by the stairs. We walk in a peaceful silence until we get to the gardens where he breaks it.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry Potter, for completely ignoring you, it wasn't right of me." Draco apologizes looking at the floor as he leads me into a beautifully built up area of roses.

I stop to look at him and he stops too a bit confused. "Look it's fine, I didn't try to reach out to you either but can we just completely forget about it please?"

Nodding slowly Draco looks back up at me "ok."

We start walking again when I spot the most beautiful rose I've ever seen, surrounded by many thorns and I pull out my camera. "Ooh, Malfoy, would your mother mind if I took a picture of that rose?"

He looks at me a bit puzzled before replying "of course not, that rose is my mother's prized possession, that was the first flower she got when she moved here and it's still going strong now." I look at Draco shocked then at the plant in awe. "I didn't know you liked to take photos Potter." Draco says as I get closer to the magnificent rose to get a good shot.

After taking a picture I'm very pleased with I turn back to face him "I don't usually, I got given it as a prize when I was at the Muggle school, so now I use it to take pictures of stuff I would like to draw."

"So you draw, I never knew that." Draco sounds a bit surprised, though why would he know that?

Shrugging I start walking through the tunnel of roses again and he follows "yeah, I used to draw a lot until my uncle destroyed all my art work, he said it was useless and I was no good so I stopped, that is until I decided to draw the snake carved into the desk."

"Wow Potter, could I see the drawing when we get back, only if your comfortable?" Draco asks softly, I like this Draco.

"Yeah, sure." I turn around and smile at him and he warmly smiles back.

"Your mother's garden is truly extraordinary Malfoy." I exclaim as we get back to the house. We had walked through tunnels of about every flower you could think of and here and there lay amazing water fountains that had vines hugging them tightly, refusing to let go.

"Yeah, she loves it, gives her something to do when trying to get away from my fa-" Draco starts but cuts himself off. "Um just trying to get away from it all you know?"

"Yeah I get what you mean, that's why I used to draw, to get away from it all." I say, knowing there is more to what he said but not wanting to push him.

He stands there awkwardly for a second before his eyes light up, "can you show me the drawing now."

Chuckling lightly I nod taking my shoes off and we head upstairs. Draco hesitates before following me into the room I am staying in and sits at the desk.

"So, I know the snake is the Slytherin snake but I had nothing else to draw and I decided to kind of change it up a little, add more details." I explain to Draco as I pull the drawing out of the bed side table drawer handing it to him.

I watch as Draco's mouth drops open, his eyes rapidly scanning the drawing. "Potter...wow, this is amazing, you should definitely draw more, this is just...amazing."

"Keep it." I say surprising both me and the boy whose eyes just shot up to meet mine.

"No- I couldn't possibly, th-this is yours." Draco stammers slightly and I chuckle.

"Just keep it Malfoy, what am I going to do with a drawing of a Slytherin snake?" I laugh and he smiles at me before looking back at the drawing.

"Thank you." He says so quiet it's almost a whisper.


	13. Chapter 13

"Could you draw me?" Draco asks catching me off guard.

"W-well I...I've never drawn anyone before." I stutter still a bit taken aback by the question but I soon recover as a smirk creeps on my face. "No, I can't, sorry, you see, I want my first drawing off a person to be good and well...if I'm drawing you first it obviously won't look good."

"And why is that Potter, are my features just so beautiful not even your drawing skills can perfect them?" He asks raising an eyebrow with a smug smile planted on his face.

"It's not really my drawing skills that are the problem, more the...how do I put this? It's more the person's face that won't make it look good." I say then burst out laughing as his mouth drops open in shock but a smile quicky makes its way back onto his lips.

"Fuck off you sarcastic twat." He shakes his head laughing along with me until we both sigh at the same time making us chuckle lightly. We sit there for what feels like an eternity just staring into eachothers eyes, smiling like idiots before his smile fades and he looks away making me frown. "So, have you got anymore drawings you can show me."  
Humming in response I reopen my drawer getting out all my drawings, there is not much to see at Malfoy Manor so I had to improvise a bit and used some pictures from my camera I had taken a while ago, although most of my drawings turned out to be quite dark due to my state of mind.

"Ok, so, you first have to promise not to comment on the meaning behind these drawings ok, some of them are a bit...dark." I tell Draco who looks at me apologetically before nodding.   
First I hand him the light sketch of the cactus that I had found in the bathroom, then the vase full of flowers on the dining room table, then it was the darker ones, the one where the point of view was someone looking out of the front window of Malfoy Manor, staring at the great gates that keep it cut off from the rest of the world, then it was my door which was open ajar to show darkness that crept in behind it and lastly, the boy who sits in front of me. It was him facing the opposite direction, hands in pockets, head looking down, walking away from me, who I also sketched behind him, my shoulders slumped as I watched him walk away.

After Draco finished looking at the last one he looked at me tears threatening to leave his eyes. "I'm so so sorry, I am such a horrible person, I never meant to-" he whispers but I interject cutting him off.

"Please Malfoy, don't apologize, you are not a horrible person, you just did what you thought was right." I tell him and he goes to talk but I talk first. "Malfoy...I understand you." And with that he rushed over to me, hugging me tightly as I melt into his embrace.

"Thank you." He says almost inaudibly and I just hum into his shoulder in response.

Quickly pulling away and sitting back at the desk with reddening cheeks he starts outlining the snake carved into the table with his finger nervously. "So I guess as I know one of your hobbies you would like to know one of mine?"

"You know what, I actually would, it would be interesting to know what the Draco Malfoy does in his spare time." I tease smiling and he looks at me with a shut up kind of look on his face which makes me chuckle.

"Well I um, I like to...sing and play guitar." He mumbles so I can't hear him.

"What?" I ask looking at him confused.

"I um sing and play guitar." He says this time kind of coughing to make it, yet again inaudible.

"God dammit Malfoy just tell me, I won't judge you." I snap getting a bit frustrated.

"Ok ok fine." He sighs. "I sing and play guitar."

I look at him shocked, watching his expression to see if he was joking or not, but he wasn't. I was NOT expecting Draco son of a death eater Malfoy to play guitar. He caught onto my shock and quickly shot up from the chair knocking it over.

"See, I knew you'd judge me, everyone else does!" He shouts heading to the door and I quickly spring from the bed, rush to his side grabbing his wrist to spin him back around.

"No no, I was just shocked, sorry, I should've replied sooner. I would never judge you, I think it's pretty cool actually, I'd love to be able to play the guitar, I just never expected you to be someone who would want to learn it." I say soothingly trying to calm him down.

"Understandable, guess I don't give off the song writer kinda vibe do I?" He asks sighing as I lead him back over to where he was just seated.

As I sit on the bed it hits me what he just said. "Wait, you write your own songs too?"

"Yeah, well only a few but I'm planning to write more." He says slightly shyly, dam he is so adorable when he goes all red and sh- no stop Harry.

"Wow Malfoy, you do continue to amaze me." I smile shaking my head slightly. "So how long have you been playing?"

"Um I think I was 10, yeah because I got my first guitar the year before I came to Hogwarts." He tells me and I continue to look at him amazed. "It's kind of therapeutic really, I like to sing and play guitar in the evenings, helps me sleep."

I look at him confused "I've never heard you play before, like at night."

"Of course not, I am very careful to put the silencing charm on my room when I play." He explains and all of a sudden I feel a bit hurt, unsure why though but he notices it and quickly blurts out. "I am just in a habit, my father doesn't let me play, says it's not manly enough."

"Oh, ok." I say a bit relieved but sympathy takes over me instantly after, I hate this poor boy's father, he is so cruel to him.

"Yeah." He sighs looking at his, apparently very interesting shoes. "My mother got me my first guitar, I used to sing all the time for her, since before I can remember, she loved it but my father hated it. I would beg for a guitar and my mother would always say 'one day I'll get you one, one day very soon' and that is what I went on, the hope that that one day very soon, would be soon, but as the years past, I started to loose that hope and loose my love for singing. That part though, was more my father's fault, he never encouraged it at all, saying it was useless. I think I was 9 when I stopped altogether, my mother was devastated so for my 10th birthday she got me my first ever guitar and taught me how to do the silencing charm, it went great, until the summer back from Hogwarts came and I forgot to use the silencing charm one night. My father shouted at my mother and he...he hurt me bad, I didn't play for a few months after that, until I wrote everything I was feeling on a peice of paper which eventually turned into a song and at that moment I knew I wanted to write songs and it was my only way out." I watch him intently the whole time, taking every detail in, I really do sympathise for this poor boy. Suddenly, his head shoots up like he has come out of a trance. "I'm sorry." He whispers. "I've never told anyone that, I shouldn't have put that all on you, I shouldnt be open about my emotions at all."

"No, don't be sorry, it's good you opened up, writing songs is a good way to cope but sometimes you just need to let it all out, to a real human. I'm glad you told me, you can be open about your emotions too you know, it's normal." I reassure him and he looks up at me, a small smile on his face and watery eyes that are refusing to let the tears fall. "It's ok to cry if you need to, it's just me."

And with that waterfalls of tears run down his pale cheeks and I rush to his side pulling him into my embrace.  
"It's not ok though, it's weak." He sobs into my shoulder. "My father would be so disappointed in me."

"Malfoy, your father is not here, it's just me so stop caring what he might think, your the strongest person I know." I tell him as calmly as I can, trying not to rase my voice at him despite his constant need to please his father which truly angers me. As he sobs start to slow, I pull away a bit so I can look into the Slytherin's beautiful grey eyes that are now sliver and glistening from the tears. "Can you play something for me?"   
Draco stares into my eyes a few seconds longer before nodding and getting up to leave then returning only seconds later with his guitar.

"Um, here you can pick a song." He says shyly handing me a sheet of paper. "These are all covers, I don't feel like playing my own song to anyone yet if that's ok."

"Yeah of course that's ok, whenever your ready." I smile warmly before redirecting my focus to the piece of paper and a title immediately catches my eye. "This one please." I say pointing at the song.

"Do you know it?" He asks placing the paper on the desk and adjusting the guitar on his leg.

"Yeah, I used to listen to Arcade all the time, I'm surprised you know so many Muggle songs." I answer settling myself on my bed.

"I guess I just relate to muggle songs more." He replies a bit sheepishly then clears his throat a little before he starts to strum the delicate strings that lay on his guitar. My breathe catches as his soft voice floats from his mouth into my ears.  
I watch his lips as they sing every word, ever so graciously, with so much emotion. His fingers brush softly against the strings as his eyes flutter closed.  
Watching Draco play hits me with the most painful realisation, I know now why this song hit so close to me when I listened to it after I met spoilt brat Malfoy after my first year at Hogwarts. Draco is and always has been my loosing game.


	14. Chapter 14

I try hard to focus all my attention on Draco as he finishes the song but my mind keeps wandering places I don't want it to. I have known for quite a while now a feeling was there, even Hermione had noticed it but we agreed it was just the hatred, then the incidents happened the other week and I definitely felt something that was not hatred but I still can't grasp exactly what I feel. Maybe it's a crush, that I've always had but I just cant seem to see a future between us, it's Ginny who I'll end up with, it's always been Ginny, hasn't it? But I definitely feel something for him, maybe I can't see a future because I don't know my own sexuality, am I gay, am I bisexual, am I straight?  
"Harry?" Draco snaps me back to reality. "Were you even listening?"

I feel myself redden under his hard gaze in embarrassment. "Yes I am so sorry, I did listen I promise you are so so amazing Malfoy, I didn't know you had it in you." I tease trying to difuse the tension a bit. "I kind of zoned out near the end." He frowns and looks down so I quickly blurt out. "Not because I didn't like it because I did, you have an amazing voice, I just...I was thinking about some stuff." Now it's my turn to frown and look down.

"What's on your mind?" Dracos asks putting his guitar down to give me his full attention.

"No it's fine, we are making sure your ok at the minute, I'm fine." I reply smiling sheepishly.

"Don't give me that crap Potter, let's just help eachother yeah?" He says, almost emotionlessly, how does he do that.

"Ok." I sigh finally.

"Ok, so tell me, what's on that spectacular mind if your Potter." I blush at his words and keep my head looking down at my feet.

"Well, um, can I ask you something?" I question and he hums in response. "Are you gay or bisexual?"

He stares at me for a second a bit taken aback by my question but quickly recovers. "I am very very much gay Potter." He smirks. "What about you?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." I tell him shyness creeping up on me. "How did you- yanno, know?"

"Well, I just found no attraction to girls, I tried of course, for my father but I felt nothing no matter how much I tried to deny it. That we went about differently you see, the whole denying situation." He continues to smirk.

"What do you mean we." I ask questioningly.

"Me and you." He shrugs and I just look at him more confused. "Well Potter, if you really need me to explain I will, I didn't force myself into relationships with girls to deny my sexuality, no instead I didn't date at all, I dedicated myself to other things." He starts to explain then uses his hand to gesture towards me. "You on the other hand, you dated girls to help deny your sexuality."

I look at him completely and utterly shook, what, is he saying im- "I did not, so your saying you know I'm gay?" I cross my arms giving him my best not impressed look.

"Did too and yes, yes Potter I am." He smirks smuggly.

"I don't even know if I'm gay, how could you possible know?" I scoff challenging him.

"I just do, it's quite obvious really and you know, I have got a gaydar." Draco shrugs.

"How so?"

"Just the way you looked at Cho and Ginny was different to how you looked at..." He trails off into a whisper, "someone else."

I know exactly who he means so I decide not to press instead I try to lighten the mood a bit. "Is that so, well it seems you know me more than I know myself." I smile and the smirk, that annoying ass smirk, returns to his lips.

"It seems I do." He says proudly and I hum rolling my eyes in response. "So you admit your gay then?"

"I am not admitting anything Malfoy, just merely telling you what you what to hear." I tease and it's his turn to roll his eyes.

We sit in silence for a while, not an awkward silence, a content silence, both smiling and both staring off into space.

"Do you ever wish you could dress differently, you know change your style a bit, wear Muggle clothes?" Draco asks surprising me.

"All the time." I reply sighing, picturing how I wish I could dress.

"Me too." He also sighs, upsetting me a little then a brilliant idea hits me.

"What if we try those styles out? I mean no one is around to judge us or whatever it's just us two, we could go shopping and try the stuff." I suggest excitedly and I watch as Draco's face lights up then instantly saddens again. "Malfoy, how many times do I have to tell you, I won't judge you for being you."

"Thank you Potter." He smiles and eventually as he thinks about it more, he starts to get excited. "Let's do it! Not now of course because we'll be having dinner soon but we can get up earlyish tomorrow and go shopping."

"Sounds like a plan." I smile and he smiles back before looking glum again.

"But where will we go, we don't know any Muggle places to go and the style I like definitely will not be in any wizard or witch clothes shops?" He frowns and I roll my eyes, honestly this boy is so stupid sometimes.

"Are you forgetting something?" I ask smirking and he just gives me a confused look. "I grew up in a Muggle house Malfoy, my auntie and uncle used to take us clothes shopping for Dudley all the time, I know some pretty good places."

"Oh yeah! Well if you pick a place out then tell me and I'll tell my driver to take us there!" He grins widely making me smile back.  
Happily sighing he gets up and grabs his guitar heading for the door.

"Wait, Malfoy?" I say quickly.

"Mhm?" He hums in response turning back to face me.

"How exactly do I look at this mystery person differently?" I smirk at him making him chuckle.

"I'll see you at dinner Potter." He laughs winking at me.

Smiling and shaking my head I watch as the blonde walks to his own room. I really enjoyed this afternoon it was nice, I can't wait for many more, that is, if Draco doesn't have anymore dramatic mood swings.

Dinner was extremely nice, Draco and I joked throughout it, laughing and smiling. One time he made me laugh too hard and water shot straight out of my nose, it was painful but totally worth it as I got to see Draco laugh again.   
I like what we have, whatever it may be, it's nice, there isn't a constant need to always be such dicks to eachother, although I'm sure that will all change when we get back to school, it's just us, having a laugh and a genuinely good time. I wish we could have been friends from the beginning, I understand maybe that was partially my fault but he was also a cocky little kid back then and wasn't very nice to Ron.   
On the other hand though, I kinda liked our rivalry, Draco constantly trying to get my attention, although he would never admit that, through making smug and rude remarks, it was fun I guess, retaliating, seeing the shock on his face when I actually stood up to him.  
Sighing, I happily climb into bed and smile to myself, I can't wait for tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15

Groaning, I wake up to Dracos voice calling through the door. "Get up Potter, you have an hour."   
And with that I quickly sit up, me and Draco are going shopping!   
Scurrying around hurriedly I managed to shower, change, find a location to go, show Draco that location and be downstairs with 5 minuets to spare, we decided to have a kind of brunch when we got there, I did have to explain this term to Draco though who thought it was quite peculiar.  
"So, what's this place like, that we are going Potter?" Draco asks as we wait by the gates for the driver, invisibility cloak covering me.

"Well, as you live quite a way from where the Dursleys live, I've only been here once but if I remember correctly it's amazing." I smile despite the fact he can't see me.

"Ah ok, and what is at this...shopping centre...I think that's what you said." He says looking perplexed, making me chuckle.

"Yes, well done." I laugh and he glares in my direction. "They have all kind of shops really, um they have clothes shops, shoe shops, accessory shops, jewelry shops-"

"Ooh." He says cutting me off. "I could do with another ring."

"Thank you for that." I grumble and he rolls his eyes. "Anyway, there are also sweet and chocolate shops, they are very different to the ones you get at hogsmead though and finally there are cafes and restaurants."

"Mmm, sounds splendid." Draco smiles. "Ah here he is." He nods to the car that has just pulled up, the one from the first day.

Draco opens the door before muttering "dammit" to himself and bending down to tie his shoelace, which was not actually untied. I take this as my chance and quickly scrambled into the car. Not long after Draco follows and gets in the back too.

"Please take us here." Draco says giving the driver a piece of paper with the location on it.

"This is a Muggle location sir." The driver says looking at Draco with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you think I know that, just drive will you!" Draco snaps and I wack his arm, he is so rude, gritting his teeth he glares at me before huffing and turning to face the front, arms crossed over his chest. What a drama queen.

The car journey takes around half an hour and Draco pouts the whole way while I try to stifle laughter. When we finally arrive we climb out of the car and Draco leads me over to a little alleyway. As soon as we are out of sight I pull the cloak off and stuff it in the backpack I had brought with us.

"Oh stop sulking Malfoy." I laugh as I lead him to the shopping centre. "It's really not a good look on you." He glares at me and pouts further. "Jeez calm down, I was only joking." I can feel him staring at me from the corner of my eye so I turn my head to face him and I'm met with a big smirk. "What?"

"Oh nothing, just the fact you said I look good when I'm sulking." He says smuggly, raising his eyebrows.

"I did not." I agrue. "Don't twist my words Malfoy."

"I'm not twisting anyone's words Potter, it's what you said." He shrugs turning back to face in front of him and I roll my eyes, honestly, this boy.

We walk into the big building and Draco gasps, "wow, this is how muggles shop?"

"Yeah, it is." I chuckle shaking my head. I watch him, smiling, as his eyes excitedly scan every shop.

"I was thinking we could have something to eat here." I say stopping outside a small cafe within the building. "Dudley had this amazing looking tuna and cheese melt last time I was here and I'd really like to try it." I say shyly and Draco just looks at me confused. "Of course we don't have to go here if you don't want." I rush out looking down.

"No no, I do want to, it's just, why didn't you have it last time?" He questions and we start walking in the cozy looking cafe.

"I was not allowed." I reply shrugging and he looks at me shocked. I lead him to the corner of the room where two one seated sofas sit, one green, one red, ironic right, with a small table in-between them.

"What do you mean you wasnt allowed, was it too expensive to get both or?" Draco questions sitting on the green chair, of course.

Sitting on the red chair I sigh "no, I wasn't allowed to eat at all."

"Why not? That's absurd!" Draco half yells and I shush him.

"They said it was enough of a treat getting to come shopping."

"That is ridiculous, you were at least aloud to shop, right?" He asks and I just look at him. "Right?" I shake my head. "Well, I am so glad you don't have to live with those disgusting muggles anymore." His anger startles me a little as his pale face reddens.

"Malfoy, why are you so angry?" I ask when I notice him fiddling rather aggressively with his rings, something I noticed he did when he got annoyed or irritated.

"I just think it is so cruel what they did to you, if I saw them right now I would- I would-" he states angrily and I quickly take his shaking hands in mine feeling him instantly loosen at my touch.

"I'm fine Malfoy, they can't hurt me anymore." I reassure him and the colour releases itself from his face as his tense shoulders loosen. I watch him for a moment longer concerned before letting his hands go and leaning back in my chair.

"Sorry." He mumbles obviously embarrassed.

"You don't need to apologize Malfoy, it's sweet you care about me." I smirk and he looks up at him through the hair that's found its way in front of his eyes. He smiles then grabs the menu opening it.   
I take this opportunity to admire the small cafe around me. There isn't many people but it is still rather busy in here. The decorations are all different colours but work so well together. I do love Muggle places, they are what I grew up with, they are always so warm and welcoming but don't get me wrong, I love everything back at the wizarding world too, everything is so magic and vibrant there its-   
"Potter." I'm pulled from my thoughts.

"Mmh" I hum redirecting my eyes to Draco.

"I've decided what I want, I'm going to order so what would you like to drink?" He asks standing.

"Um, hot chocolate please." I smile and watch as he walks to the counter before turning my attention back to my surroundings.

After a few minutes Draco sits back in front of me, with two large mugs, placing one piled with cream and marshmallows that pour out of it in front of me. "Woah, that's alot." I gasp staring at the mountain before me.

"Yep." Draco grins taking a sip from his own mug. Carefully I lift my own to my mouth taking a small sip and just as I'm about to take the mug away from my lips Draco taps the bottom gently and creme goes all over my nose making me gasp then glare at him.   
I watch as Draco laughs hysterically, his head falling back as he clutches his side's.

"Your gonna pay for that." I mutter smirking.

"What was that Potter?" He asks smirking back at me and I quickly pile creme onto my finger then swipe it across both Draco's cheeks and nose. He stares back at me shocked then laughs shaking his head and glaring at me.   
Licking the creme off my finger then wiping it off my nose I laugh at the sight before me, he does look rather adorable.

Tw eating disorder

By the time Draco has cleaned his face up and we have laughed some more the waitress is over with our food. In front of me she places the cheese and tuna melt which looks and smells mouth watering and in front of Draco a bowl of creamy tomato soup. I try hard not to but I can't help the sympathetic look that creeps onto my face as Draco thanks the waitress.  
Since I've been at Malfoy Manor Draco has eaten nothing but soup, when we were eating together he only managed to finish half and in the two weeks we didn't talk he would sometimes not eat any, I noticed this when Timmy would bring his bowl down. It was the only meal of the day Draco would eat, he only ever had it for dinner and it was starting to concern me how skinny he was getting. At Hogwarts I had noticed he had a some what of an eating disorder but I never thought anything of it, thinking his friends would help him, they clearly didn't.   
I watch as he takes a spoonful of soup to his mouth but as soon as it touches his lips he puts the spoon back into the liquid in the bowl, that must be why he has soup, it's probably easier for him to think of it as a liquid rather than an actual food. That is when an idea comes to mind, I don't want to interfere and make him uncomfortable but I hate to see him this way.

"Why don't you ask to have it in a mug?" I suggest recieving a confused look from the Slytherin. "I thought maybe it would be easier for you to consume that way." I say sheepishly.

"I-i- didn't know you knew." Draco says looking down obviously ashamed but why, I will never know.

"I don't exactly know, I have just noticed it before but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable bringing it up." I tell him and his eyes meet mine.

"Thank you." He whispers smiling. "I think I'll um, try what you said out, but could you maybe um-"

"It's fine Malfoy, I'll go ask." I smile and he smiles back gratefully, it must be hard for him so I want to do all I can to help.

They are very nice when I ask for it to be put into a mug and just minuets later they return with it. Thanking the waiter who gave me it I return to Draco and hand it to him.   
Nervously he takes it from my hands but doesn't drink it just yet and I don't pressure him, instead I take his mind off it by telling him stories of what Fred and George used to get up to over the summers I have spent with them, it's only been two summers but boy they still got up to alot. Draco laughs at the stories, he has never been a big fan of Fred and George seeing as they were Weasley but he has always found them hilarious, I mean who wouldn't.   
When I finish half of my cheese and tuna melt I see Draco is now starting to sip his soup but I don't draw too much attention to it and decide to continue with more stories adding a few from things the twins got up to in school too.   
Finally, after many laughs I finish my food and Draco has basically finished his soup minus a few mouthfuls. I watch as he eyes it before placing it down on the table. He looks up at me sadly, "I can't im-"

"It's ok, you did your best and that's all that matters." I cut in smiling at him with understanding and he smiles back, gratefulness shining in his grey eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unpleasant meeting with Vernon

Once we argue over who is paying, I finally give in saying Draco can only pay if we get another drink before we leave and I pay (I always keep Muggle money on me and Draco's driver gave him some) luckily he agreed, though he wasnt too happy about it.

"So I had an idea." Draco says when we get out of the cafe and I hum in response. "Why don't we both go our separate ways, not for long just to find the outfits then we can meet say..over there." He points to a post with a set of chairs around it. "Then we can look around some shops together, sound good?"

"Ooh yeah ok then when we get back we can put them on and show eachother the outfits, like a suprise?" I ask getting a bit too excited.

"Yeah, exactly that." He smiles, chuckling slightly at my beaming face. "Meet back here in 30 minutes, see you in a bit Potter." And before I can get another word in he walks away.   
30 minutes?! How does he expect me to find everything in 30 minutes?! Actually, more like, how is Draco going to find everything in 30 minutes? He has never been to Muggle shops before!  
I rapidly look around before my eyes lay on just the shop I was looking for New Look I hurry over there and go straight to the men's section and start looking through the pile of jeans. Please please please please yes. I smile pulling the jeans off the pile then putting them against my legs for sizing.   
I search a bit more to see if I can find anything else I need in here but I am unsuccessful so head to the changing rooms to try them on, they fit perfect. Sighing happily I walk to the check out and pay before going to search for more of the shops I need to look for.

Draco's POV

I look around cluelessly until my eyes land on a familiar name. Primark. I did a little research last night so I would be able to have a slight idea of what shops sold what. This one should do.   
Waking in a gape taking in my surroundings, everything so different here, nothings floating, it's just...normal. I watch as people rush around as the scan through the hundreds of peices of clothing reminding me, I need to hurry up. Quickly I walk over to what I assume is someone who works here "excuse me." I say as politely as possible, straightening my back as I do so.

"Yes?" The boys smiles turning to face me, wow, muggle shop assistants are so much nicer than witch or wizard ones.

"Where is the men's section?" I ask sheepishly. "I've never been here before, sorry." I don't know why I felt the need to apologize I just did.

"No need to apologize mate, it's fine, up the escalators and to the right." He smiles nodding to moving stairs which I assume are escalators. I smile thanking him then make my way over to these moving stairs, these were nothing like what I had seen before, these moving stairs didn't decide to all of a sudden take you to the other side of the school that you need to be on when they feel like it, no, on these, it's the actual steps that are moving.  
Nervously I step onto them, you would have thought I would be alright with this, but this is so much different from anything magic, it is powered by a muggle made machine, it can't always be trusted.   
Stepping off I turn right and instantly see what I am looking for, I go over, grab a few pairs of the jeans then look for somewhere to try them on.   
On the way to the changing rooms I also manage to find just the jumper I want, bonus.

Harry's pov

After searching in lots of different shops for a jumper that would go, I finally find one in Ralph Lauren, sure it's a bit expensive but this one I really like. After trying it on I pay then head to M&S to get the top, it doesn't take me long and I still have 10 minutes to kill so I decide to get some shoes.   
I walk around a bit before a certain shop catches my eye, Vans. I remember when we used to shop for Dudley I would always look into Vans, I don't know what it is but I have always loved their shoes along with all the other things they do.  
Smiling I walk in trying a few shoes on and eventually I am left with two choices, two very hard choices. I stare at the shoes, face twisted before I hear a voice behind me.

"Hello." I look behind me to see a small blonde girl smiling down at me from where I'm sat.

"Hello." I smile back.

"I saw you looking at these shoes and well I thought you may like to know, today we have a sale on so if you buy one pair you get the other half price." Ah she works here.

I look down at both pairs of shoes before looking back up to meet her green eyes, "thank you. I think I will take both, they are great shoes."

She smiles nodding. "Very good choice, you have good taste." She winks walking away to help another customer.

Packing the shoes back into their boxes I qué up to pay.

Dracos pov

I found a top easy enough in a shop called M&S and had to stop myself from buying multiple of them, I already have hundreds at home but I just love them, the are smart and simple.  
Now was the tricky part, the jewelry. I don't really know where to find this, I've seen a few shops buy I'm not sure they will have what I need, I guess I can only hope.

Harry's pov

After I finish paying I take a slow stroll to the place me and Draco are going to meet as it's just round the corner. I am not surprised when I get to the benches and he is not there, after all he doesn't really know where or what any of these shops are. Sighing I take a seat and to my suprise Draco is stood in front of me within 5 minutes beaming.

"I'm done." He smiles. "Sorry I took a bit longer, I completely forgot about the ch- um, one of my accessories."

I chuckle shaking my head. "It's fine, would you like to look round a bit more?"

"Yes, give me your bags." He demands holding out a hand.

"What? No, why?" I ask confused.

"Don't worry Potter, I won't peak, I'm just taking the bags back to the car." Draco rolls his eyes not lowering his hand. I let out a kind of understanding oh sound then pass him the bags and watch as he walks away.   
He is only gone 5 minutes but I'm definitely glad when he gets back, I don't like being alone in big places like this, just sitting there.   
We laugh and talk as I show Draco all the different shops, including the sweet shops which he was very delighted about and we both got ourselves some sweet treats, him getting quite a bit less than me.  
We both stop outside a small ice cream cafe.

"I'm pretty sure this is new." I state and Draco's nods.

"I'm pretty exhausted, wanna go in, we can have something to drink here?" Draco suggests cooly even though I know he is desperate to go in.

"Oh course we can.", I chuckle and he holds the door open for me to walk in. "What a gentleman."

"I know, bet you never thought me Draco Malfoy, would be holding a door open for you Harry Potter did you?" He smirks following me in.

"I definitely didn't." I laugh. "That is unless you planned to lock me in the room or shut it in my face afterwards." I say causing a laugh to escape Draco's cold lips.

Smiling we take a seat in the back corner of the room, everything is covered in ice creams. Looking over I watch Draco as he watches the waiters and waitresses bring masses of the delicious desert to the customers.

"Potter." Draco says looking at me and I hum in response. "I'm fine, I don't know why but things like this don't faze me, I guess because it's not technically a solid food." He smiles at me. Dam it, I hadn't even realised the concerned and sympathetic look that was plastered on my face.

"I'm sorry." I blurt out. "I didn't mean to- um I didn't mean to yanno um-"

"Potter it's fine." He smiles placing a hand on mine send unwanted shivers down my whole body. Quickly he pulls his hand away, eyes wide as he realises what he did.  
After discussing the menu options for a while we decide to share the three scoop sundae with all scoops chocolate, it's seems we both like chocolate ice cream. We agreed that Draco gets two scoops and I get one and all the extra bits that get put on top, in this case, a brownie, a wafer and maltesers.

While Draco waits at the table I go and order the ice cream and two waters to wash down the sickly desert. 

Our mouth watering dessert arrives just minutes after I sat back down with Draco.   
As we eat it's now Draco's turn to tell stories. He tells me stories of his mother, he doesn't have many real friends to tells stories about which pains my heart greatly. He tells me how they used to garden together all the time and how he knew every name of every flower, he blushed at this, embarrassed, but I tell him it is actually pretty cool that a boy of his age to have such knowledge on such an amazing part of mother nature. 

He then went on to tell me about how his mother helped him write his own song and how his second one was written about his mother, I liked his stories, they were emotional with so much happiness to them and before we knew it we had finished the sundae.  
We sip our water contently and Draco is about to tell another story when I hear a painfully familiar voice from across the room.

"Look father! Look who is here as well!" The voice yells and I shudder, Dudley.

"Oh look darling, if it is our beloved Harry Potter." Vernon laughs an evil laugh and all of a sudden I feel very sick.

"Who are they, Potter?" Draco asks as I hear footsteps approaching, no, for merlins sake no.

"We are the freaks auntie and uncle, aren't we boy?" Vernon snarls, I hate it when he calls me boy, it makes me feel so insignificant, like I mean nothing to anyone. When I don't respond my uncle repeats himself taking a step closer to me making me coward away into the comfort of the chair. "Aren't we, boy?"

Draco notices my sudden change of mood and the tension that lays between my uncle and I so stands and walks between the two of us, leaning against the arm of my chair. "So your the dreadful uncle are you? And that's your spoilt brat of a son?" Draco laughs. What in Merlin's beard is he doing?

"Don't you dare ta-" Vernon starts angrily but Draco buts in.

"Now now, you wouldn't want to cause a scene, don't want your precious reputation ruined now do we, if you do I'm more than capable of helping with that, my father has a lot of power." Draco says in a mocking tone and without looking I know a smirk is plastered on his face.

"Listen here you freak-"

"I wouldn't call me that if I was you, like I said my father has a lot of power and I mean alot of power." Draco challenges. "He may be a freak as you call us but trust me on this, freak or not he can make your life a living hell."


	17. Chapter 17

I move slightly to peer round Draco so I can see my dear uncles reaction and it's priceless. The colour has drained from his face and he tries to form a word, failing miserably before scurrying over to a table on the other side, ushering my auntie and cousin over there with him.  
Draco turns to me a proud smile on his face but that soon disappears when he notices my state. I'm guessing like my uncle the colour has drained from my face and I can feel my body shaking.

"Potter, are you ok?" Draco asks concerned crouching next to me.

As my uncle comes into sight a over Draco's head the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grows. "Please can we leave?" I whisper which receives an understanding nod from Draco and we both stand walking out not looking back seeing as I prepaid at the counter when ordering. I am just about to close the door when my uncles voice bellows through the cafe "Potter!" I rigidly turn around to face my uncle and a few costumers whose eyes are now on me. "We would love to have you back." He smirks tapping his belt sending memories rushing through my brain but before they can go to far I'm pulled out of the memory and shop by a firm hand.   
The hand doesn't stop pulling me until we get into a tall cubby whole type thing that's inbeded into the wall.  
"Calm down, it's ok." Draco says soothingly. Merlin I'm so pathetic I even have Draco Malfoy being sympathetic towards me.  
Suddenly I'm pulled into the embrace of the blonde boy before me.After what feels like forever of him holding me and rubbing my back, although I'm not complaining, my body stops shaking. Draco squeezes me tighter then let's go but puts his hands on my shoulders, "we'll go back now yeah?" I nod pulling my invisibility cloak putting it on as Draco stands in front of me so no one will see.  
During our car ride that seemed to drag on for an eternity, ashame hung over my head on how cowardly I was, especially in front of a Malfoy.  
Finally we make it back to the Manor and I follow Draco up the drive, not taking my cloak off, too afraid of what will come now we are alone, he will probably mock me, like he always has.

"Are you there Potter?" He asks placing our bags down and I hum in response. "You can take that off now you know?"

"I know, but I don't want to." I say bluntly.

"And why is that?" He asks confused not really sure where to look. When I don't answer he frowns deeply. "What it is Potter?"

Sighing I decide to take the cloak off, I will have to face the embarrassment soon enough. "Your gonna make fun of me aren't you?"

"And why on earth would I do that Potter?" He laughs at me confused and I just look at him. He scans my face a second before it hits him. "Are you- are you ashamed of how you acted?" He asks and I remain silent giving him his answer. "Potter, don't be so ridiculous, he seems like a horrid man and what he has done to you I can't blame you, or actually, what I assume he has done to you, I may be a dick but I'm not that much of a dick."

I stand looking at him shocked for a second, who is this boy and where did Draco pure blood Lucius dick head Malfoy go? "Thank you." I whisper. "For everything, for standing up for me like that and understanding and-"

"Potter, it's what I'm here for, it's what...friends do." He smiles nervously, I like that, friends, me and Draco Malfoy being friends, it sounds nice.

"Oh so we are friends now are we Malfoy?" I tease making him blush but he keeps up his unfazed expression.

"Yes we are Potter." He states cooly. "Now go get changed so I can see what you picked!" His excitement takes both of us off guard but I giggle placing my shoes by the door and running upstairs with my bags.   
Once in the room dedicated to me I get changed before looking in the mirror inside of the wardrobe and smiling at my reflection, then I take a moment to think.   
I'm so different around him, I'm so open, so emotional, it's strange but nice. He is probably the last person I should be telling stuff to but it's nice not having to act the hero around someone for once.

Dracos POV

Sliding down the wall outside Harry's door I sighed. Why is it I care for this boy so much? I never have before, so why now? Why do I sympathize for him? Why-  
Suddenly Harry burst out of the room, jumping when he sees me. I quickly shoot up examining him, he looks...amazing.   
Baggy light brown chinos sit nicely on his hips whilst a dark blue jumper hangs just over the waist band. Peaking out of the jumper that had a teddy bear dressed slightly like Harry on, was the collar of a shirt which made it, unique. Scanning back down his body I notice his shoes, vans I think they are called, they are slip on shoes checkered in black and white. "Wow Potter you look great." I exclaim causing him to blush.

"Thank you." He smiles gently. "Now it's your turn." He ushers me into my room. 

Harry's POV

Draco takes a lot longer than me to get ready so I lean against the wall as I wait, which I'm very thankful for because I think if I didn't I would've fallen back at the mere sight of this new boy in front of me. Black jeans with rips on the knee and thigh cling to his skinny legs perfectly and a black jumper, with a shirt collar and sleeves peaked out of the neck and arms, hangs on his upper body.  
Hanging from his belt, I assume, are three chains all different lengths and thicknesses.  
From his neck are two more chains, they are thinner but had charms on, the smaller one had skull and the bigger one had a snake. Two more chains hug his wrists and finally, 4 rings, including his original one cling to his fingers. The three new ones are a skull, like his necklace, an M, for Malfoy I'm assuming, and a green emerald, the band covered in engravings. He looked...hot.

"Like what you see Potter?" He asks in a cocky tone as I recover from my very embarrassing flushed state 

"Like what you see Potter?" He asks in a cocky tone as I recover from my very embarrassing flushed state.

"No not really." I tease. "Thats why my jaw dropped."

He scoffs laughing "whats that supposed to mean Potter?"

"Isn't it a bit self explanatory, Malfoy?" I laugh raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's not, do enlighten me Potter." He challenges, stepping forward, a smirk not leaving his face.

"You do like to say 'Potter' don't you? And well it just means, how do I put this the nicest way I can...my jaw dropped at how gastly you look." I laugh raising my eyebrows.

"Is that so Potter." He says in a low entrancing voice that made my breath hitch slightly.

"Yep." I smile lifting my head and I watch his eyes drift to my lips then back up to my eyes where I see them widen as he quickly steps back.

"Im-im sorry i-" he quickly tries to form words but gives up and stumbles towards his room, why does he always leave after something like this happens. 

"Malfoy stop." I grab his arm swinging him round to face me again. "Please, I don't want what happened last time to happen again, stop leaving after there is a...situation." I plead letting go of him but not taking my eyes from his.

"What do you expect me to do?" He asks in a tone I can't quite wrap my head around.

"Come watch a film with me?" I request casually.

"And just forget what happened?" He asks scoffing.

"Yes." I say calmly rewarding a shocked look from Draco. "What I assume we both want isn't the best thing for us...at the moment," his eyes light up at my words slightly "so let's just go watch a movie, do what friends do instead of groping around, reminiscing on what could be."

Draco contemplates for a moment not taking his eyes from mine before finally sighing. "Ok."

Smiling I quicky grab my bag, which I still haven't unpacked, and pull from it my favourite movie of all time, Lion King.

Coming back out I pass the movie to Draco. "Can we watch this please, it's my favourite Muggle film." I beam making him chuckle lightly.

"Of course we can Potter." He smiles leading us downstairs.

"I managed to steal it from the Dursleys before I left." I explain as we make our way into the great living room.   
I watch as Draco grabs the remote placing the disc inside a DVD player that looks like its only been used once.

"My mother bought it for me one year but father said I wasn't allowed to use it." He answers my questioning thoughts of why he has it before plopping down on the sofa.  
After joining him, my eyes drift to him as I notice him staring at me with furrowed eyebrows and a frown.

"What is it?" I ask and he looks at me shocked realising I was now staring back at him but he quickly recovers.

"It's just-um well." He rambles and I chuckle.

"Just ask it's fine." I smile encouragingly and he nods, eyebrows still furrowed.

"I just, I've been wanting to ask since it happened, actually I've been wanting to ask for a while now but- well you don't have to answer if you don't want to." He starts rambling again and I give him a look which he catches onto. "Right sorry, ok. What did they do to you Ha-Potter?" His voice suddenly softens and his facial expressions fill with sympathy. "The way you acted around him, did they hurt you?"

Sighing I turn my body to face his looking down at my hands for a moment before redirecting my eyes to his own marvelous grey ones. "Yes." I reply simply and his eyes widen. "But I'm not sure I want to go into detail, not yet anyway."

"Ok, that's fine, I understand." He says giving me a reassuring smile and I'm so grateful for that, I do want to tell him, for whatever reason I cannot explain, I want to tell Draco Malfoy, but not tonight, I'm not ready yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god this is so poorly written, I didn't even realise, anyway, I hope your enjoying it


	18. Chapter 18

We watched the film in comfortable silence and I noticed that Draco would occasionally glance at me when I would smile or laugh at certain bits and I also stole a few glances at his outfit, he really did look good like this. I also love my outfit, it really makes me feel like myself, I've never really wanted to wear this stuff as it would draw more unwanted attention to myself, but seeing Draco wear what he wants really inspired me.   
When we got to the bit of the film where Mufasa was being held over the cliff by his brother Scar, my eyes started to tear up and straight away Draco noticed. "Why are you crying?" He asked me confused.

"The next bits really sad." I said trying to hold back the tears.

"Does he die?" He had questioned with no emotion whatsoever and I nodded. "Wait you seriously cry at a non-real character dying?" He had laughed at me and I glared at him but as soon as the time came he too had started crying making me laugh as he huffed crossing his arms.  
When it then got to the singing bit I joined in and Draco watched me smiling and chuckling to himself making me blush slightly but luckily he didn't see in the dim light, or I don't think he saw anyway.  
As the film neared the end my stomach grumbled loudly and Draco laughed summoning Timmy to make us some dinner and as soon as the film ended Timmy was back in the room telling us it was ready.

And now here we are, sat at the big table in the dinning room discussing the movie.  
"It was good, I'll admit that, but it was a bit silly." Draco states taking a sip of his water, he had told Timmy not to make him anything so I felt a bit awkward being the only one eating but I was too hungry to not eat.

"It wasn't silly it was lovely." I argue back and he just raises an eyebrow smiling while shaking his head.

"Whatever you say Potter."

The next few days mainly consist of Draco playing me more songs on his guitar and him constantly asking me for me draw him.

"Please Potter, just one tiny drawing, please please pleaseeeee." He knelt by my bed hands clasped together pouting. Rolling my eyes and chuckling at his childishness I redirect my attention back to my current drawing, the rose with thorns around it that I had taken a picture of from the mighty garden.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't draw people yet." I sigh getting angry at one petal I just can't seem to get right.

"So let me be the first one you draw." He states standing and plopping on the bed next to me, jogging my hand and I glare at him making his eyes widen. "Ah sorry."

"It's fine." I grumble grabbing the rubber and rubbing out the mistake Draco just made me do.

"You need to relax on that drawing Potter, you've been at that one bit for three hours, I think you need a break." Draco says and I go to protest but he raises an eyebrow at me so I sigh in defeat placing the drawing next to me. "How about we go for a walk to the fountain." He smiles and I nod.   
The other day Draco had got a bit stressed out when trying to learn a new song so we went on a walk in the garden to calm him down and ended up by the fountain so now it's kind of like...our place.

"Can you bring your guitar please?" I ask shyly as we get up.

"Of course." He smiles and heads to his room returning to my side seconds later with his guitar slung over his shoulder by the strap.   
We walk in content, peaceful silence to the beautiful water fountain, sitting on the edge of it. "What song would you like me to play?" Draco asks adjusting the guitar on his lap.

"Um, could you do Happier please." I ask and he nods smiling before starting to strum the old strings of his guitar.   
I feel my body instantly relax as his soft voice fills my ears.   
Once he has finished the song he stands his guitar in-between his legs and we sit in silence as the birds hum their tune and the warm breeze rustles the masses of plants around us.   
It has been quite hot these past few days so neither of us have really been able to wear our new outfits which we were both a bit upset about but Draco still wore all his bracelets, necklaces and rings. We were both wearing shorts which was an unexpected site on both our parts so it did take a little while to get used to.

"Want to go back now?" Draco said making me jump slightly.

"Sure." I smile rising to my feet and we walk back to the house. Pretty much as soon as we step through the back door there is a knock at the door. My blood runs cold, that is until I hear the screeching sound of a voice causing it to boil with anger, that bitch.

"Draco!" Bellatrix calls out. "Draco open the doooor!" I go to run to the door but Draco stops me grabbing my arm.

"Where do you think your going?" He asks harshly but doesn't even let me answer. "Go to your room and do not come down, she will be gone soon."

"But-" I start as he cuts me off.

"Potter no, I don't know why you are getting so worked up about her being here but please just go to your room." He instructs giving me a look as another knock hits the door.

"Fine!" I huff storming away not caring if she hears me stomping up the stairs. I trudge into the room dedicated to me and keep the door ajar so I can hear what they are saying.

"Sorry, I was getting changed." Draco apologizes to this unexpected guest as he opens the door.

"Don't worry about it Draco." Her annoying voice replies. "Just came to check up on you, heard you haven't owled your mother or father once."

"Oh yeah, I should probably do that." He laughs closing the door, he let that psychopath in?! Well I mean she is his auntie but still.

"So Draco, I've talked to the dark lord and he says you want to concentrate on your studies this year is that right." She asks suspiciously.

"Yes." He replies simply. "I want to be well educated before you start teaching me stuff if that's ok, I just feel it is important I know everything I need at school first." What on earth is he talking about?

"Ah I always knew you were wise Draco, you will be good for us." Her evil laugh deafens me even from up here. "Anyway, I better get going, can't stay too long."

"Ok, I'll see you soon." Draco replies politely.

"See you soon."

As soon as I hear the door shut I slam my own one. "Potter?" Draco calls. I ignore him.

"What do you want?" I spit as he enters.

"What the fuck got your knickers in a twist?" He scoffs.

"Oh so you don't know what your wonderful aunt did?" I scoff.

"No." He states and I watch him closely for a second.

"Just leave me alone." I mutter turning away from him.

"Potter, please tell me." He urges but I don't respond. "Potter!"

"She pretty much killed the closest thing I had to family." I shout spinning myself back around. (In this story Sirius is not dead.)

"W-what?" He asked completely and utterly taken aback.

"She tried to kill Sirius." I feel the tears prick my eyes but I refuse to let them leave. "Her own cousin! If it wasn't for Remus putting up a sheild charm at the last minute my god father would be dead because of your auntie. Luckily he didn't die but the shield wasn't powerful enough and now he is in a coma and there is a very low chance of him surviving!" I blurt out and by the time I'm finished tears are streaming down my face.

"Potter im-im so sorry." He sighs sympathy clear in his eyes.

"I'd like to be alone please." I say turning away from him and he mutters a small okay before walking to the door and closing it behind him but only ten minutes later he comes stumbling in my room.

"No." He says and I look up from the floor, my head still in my hands as I sit on the bed.

"What do you mean no?" I ask confused.

"I mean no." He growls and I stare at him shocked. "How dare you accuse my aunt of such a thing in front of me, she would never do that, definitely not to her own cousin!"

"Really Draco? Are you that fucking naive?" I scoff looking back down.

"I don't believe you." He hisses and I feel my blood begin to boil again.

"Your kidding me right? Are you that caught up in your Daddy's words that you will refuse to believe your aunt is actually a killer?" I laugh getting to my feet, throwing my hands up.

"Oh please, we all know that all you want is sympathy Potter, it's all you ever want, oh poor me, everyone I love is dead." He growls. "And at least I have a father whose words I can get caught up in."

I gasp as his words cut through me.

"Get out." I whisper.

"What?" He presses.

"I said get the fuck out, right now!" I shout as tears stream down my face and he turns on his heels storming away.

"I really regret ever trying to be your friend." He mutters as he slams the door.

As soon as he is gone I jump under the covers and break down, crying until I eventually fall asleep despite it only being around 4 o clock.

"Expelliarmus!" I shout knocking Lucius's cover to his wand out of his hand.   
"Nice one James!" Sirius calls back smiling proudly and I stop dead in my tracks, did he just call me- Quicky I regain myself as Sirius knocks Lucius's wand from his hand then sends him flying backwards. Before I knew what was happening, I hear Bellatrix's shill voice shoot "Avada Kedava!" at the same time Remus shouts something I can not quite hear.   
"Sirius!" I yell as he collapses against the hard floor in front of me. Bellatrix's laugh echos throughout the room as she slips away and I make a run for her, seeing nothing but red, only to be pulled into Remus's tight embrace.   
"Harry, stop." Remus whispers into my ear trying to stop me from struggling. My knees buckle and I fall to the floor pulling Remus with me as I grip his jumper tightly and I sob screaming into his chest as he cries softly into my hair whispering the words "please let him be alive, please. Potter." Huh, why did he call me that? "Potter." He repeats louder but this time his voice has altered. "Potter!"

Suddenly I wake up shaking with Draco towering over me with worried eyes. "Potter are you ok?

"I need to see Sirius." I blurt out before I change my mind.

"Ok, we'll go tomorrow." He says soothingly and I nod sinking back into the safety of my covers. I watch confused as Draco drags the desk chair over plopping himself down on it.

"What are you doing?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"Sitting with you until you fall asleep of course." He replies like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I sit up watching him closely as he takes a deep breath.

"Because, Harry Potter, I have never had a real friend and I'd really like you to be my first one." He smiles sadly and my stomach flutters with happiness along with the aching in my chest that he has never had a real friend but then I remember his cruel words from earlier.

"But you said-" I start but he cuts me off.

"I know what I said but I didn't mean any of it, I really do want to be your friend and I don't regret it, not one bit. I was just, shocked and in denial and...drunk." he looks down and I gasp shocked, he was drinking again. "I always knew my aunt was a bad person but I never wanted to admit it, not even to myself and I do believe you, about she did and I'm so sorry she did it." He explains sadly. " I hope you can forgive me." A weak smile forms on his precious pale face.

"Of course I can Malfoy." I smile back and I see literal relief wash over him. "But you were drinking again?" I frown and he tenses back up.

"You need some sleep Potter, we'll talk about this another time ok? Good night." He says trying his hardest to put on a brave face as he gently squeezes my hand before returning it to his lap.

"Good night Malfoy." I sigh falling into a peaceful deep slumber as soon as my head hits the pillow.

(This is such a shit chapter but I feel like it was needed to explain a few bits.)


	19. Chapter 19

I wake up to an unexpected weight on my hand. Letting my eyes flicker open and adjust to the light, I look down to see Draco knelt next to the bed, cheek resting in the palm of my hand. Smiling I sigh considering leaving my hand there but the pins and needles make me do otherwise.  
Despite my attempt to be as careful as possible, he starts to stir and his eyelashes batt open and closed as he comes around.   
Notcing where he is, he quickly rises to his feet, a shade of red colouring his pale face.

"Um, er sorry." He clears his throat looking at the floor.

"It's fine." I chuckle shaking my head.

"So, how did you sleep?" He asks finally bringing his grey eyes to meet mine.

"Pretty well actually, considering all things." I give him a weak smile and he looks at me sympathetically.

"Right, thats good, quick question, what is the hospital called, that we are visiting?" He asks cautiously making sure not to upset me.

"St mungos." I reply sitting up and smiling.

He nods smiling back before turning away to leave, calling over his shoulder. "It's supposed to be a bit cold today by the way."

Excitedly I get out of bed, quickly showering and getting changed into my outfit we bought the other day. Smiling I look in the mirror and sigh happily before rushing downstairs to meet Draco in the great dining room. As I sit down Timmy appears with a plate of toast placing it in front of me while Draco reads the Daily Prophet.

"Anything interesting?" I ask taking a bite of the toast.

"No not particularly." He replies sighing and placing the paper in front of him. "Although there are some speculations that you are staying at Malfoy Manor."

My eyes widen, choking on my water. "What?" I gasp for air.

"I'm joking calm down Potter." He laughs and I glare at him. "Anyway, I've ordered a cab to come pick us up and take us to the train station as I really can't be bothered to deal with the whole hiding you from my driver situation. There is a direct route to the hospital so we will take that one."

I nod slowly amused at Draco's sudden change in attitude from caring for me to teasing me to being his bossy self.  
As I finish up my last piece of toast Draco stands and I get a good look at his outfit again, it really does suit him. "We are leaving in ten minutes, be ready, I just need to...attend to some business." He tells me before leaving the room without another word. And shady Draco's back, fun.  
After getting myself completely ready I head downstairs and wait by the door for Draco, tapping my foot nervously.

"Ready?" Draco asks startling me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, let's go." I smile and he smiles back opening the door for me and locking it behind.   
At the front of the big driveway awaits a very posh looking taxi, not like any I'd seen before. As we approach Draco takes a few strides forwards reaching the car before me and opening the door.

"What a gentleman." I tease then he glares at me before smirking and shutting the door. "Rude." I gasp laughing and opening the door back up to climb in. I watch as Draco gives some money to the driver then whispers something else before giving him more money and getting in the other side to sit in the back with me. I give him a questioning look as he gets in and he just mouths "don't worry." So I nod despite my growing curiosity. The car ride is short but the train ride drags on, each passing minute feeling like eternity but finally we arrive.

"You ok?" Draco asks as we step off the train and onto the platform.

"I think so." I smile and he gives me a reassuring look as we head to the hospital which luckily is only around a 2 minute walk. We walk through the big doors of the hospital heading straight to the front desk and people rush around us frantically. "Excuse me." I clear my throat and the lady looks up smiling at me. "I'm here to visit Sirius Black." I smile weakly and she nods.

"There may be someone else there with him but I'm sure it will be fine, he is on the second floor room 23b." She tells me as she types something into the computer and I thank her walking away, who could be with Sirius?

I walk aimlessly until Draco grabs my arms pulling me through some doors.   
"It's this way." He gives me a small smile.

"Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention." I apologize looking down as we walk up some stairs.

"It's ok, I'll find the way just follow me." He gives me another reassuring smile before leading me down the halls muttering the room numbers as we pass. "Ah here we are." He finally says stopping outside of a room.

Taking a deep shaky breath I open the doors and walk in, Draco trailing behind me. As soon as my eyes lay on Sirius unmoving body all my nervousness disappears and is replaced with fear and deep sadness. I run to his body without thinking grasping his cold hand in mine, kneeling by the bed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't visit Sirius I just- I have no excuse except I wasn't ready." I choke out through sobs. "I should've visited, I bet you think I'm such a bad god-"

"Harry, he does not think that at all.", I hear a voice say so I whip my head in their direction.

"Remus." I shout jumping up, gently letting go of Sirius hand and running into Remus's warm embrace.

"Hello Harry." He says and I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Hello Remus." I whisper. Draco suddenly clears his throat and I pull away.

"I'll give you a minute." He says politely nodding at us and walking out.

As soon as he is gone Remus turns to me raising an eyebrow and I laugh. "It's a long story." He chuckles nodding understandingly.

"So what brings you here Harry?" He finally asks as we go and sit by Sirius.

"I could ask you the same thing, aren't you normally off somewhere secret." I laugh but his face turns into a frown.

"I think there is something I should tell you, I was going to tell you when Sirius woke but..." He trails off not wanting to say what the possible outcome may be. "I feel the time is right now." I nod beckoning him to continue as my worry grows. "Well, before...it happened, I was planning on asking Sirius to marry me." He admits and my mouth drops open although I'm not as shocked as I thought I would be, I mean they always flirt but I thought they were just joking about.

"B-but what about Tonks." I finally manage to get out.

"That was a cover for us, we never really wanted anyone to know, it would make everything so much more...complicated so Tonks being the wonderful women she is agreed to help us with this, I think it went on a bit too long so I decided it was finally time to ask him to marry me, that is, until..." He cuts off looking at his best- his boyfriend. Before I know what I'm doing I pull Remus into another hug.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper shakily.

"Why are you apologising Harry?" He asks into my shoulder and I pull away.

"If it wasn't for me he'd still be here and you'd be engaged. I was so stupid, I should've known it was all a trap." Tears begin to prick my eyes again.

"Harry please, it's not your fault, you had a vision that your godfather was in grave danger so you went to save him like any sane person would, please don't blame yourself." He reassures me placing a hand on my shoulder. "We'll marry some day, he'll make it, I know he will." Remus takes his hand from my shoulder, placing it on Sirius' cold one as he smiles at him with such adoration. 

We then go onto to discuss how Remus has been coping, how Sirius is doing and if he's improved, they said there is a higher chance of him surviving, it's still pretty low but it's there and then we go onto discuss how I ended up at Draco's for the summer.

"Harry." Remus says and him in response, turning my body to face his. We had been sat in peaceful silence for a while now, both caught up in our own thoughts as we watch Sirius still body. "If your ready of course, I think he would really like it if you visited more."

Smiling I take a deep breathe turning my attention back to my resting godfather. "I'd like that too, I think I'm ready." I look over at Remus as he is smiling proudly at me. "Do you come here often?"

"I try to, even if it's just for a few minutes." He smiles weakly. "But living all over the place doesn't help much."

"You need to sleep." I suprise him by saying. "I promise I will visit him everyday for the rest of the week whenever I get the chance." Like I thought he would, he tries to protest. "Remus please, it's only two days, maybe three depending how you feel, you really need sleep." I state matter of factly, massive bags hang from his eyes, his clothes are creased and dirty and his hair is messy. "He wouldn't want you worrying like this would he?" I add to help persuade him.  
Taking a deep breath he finally nods.

"Ok Harry."

"Good, now go home, have shower, get some food into your system and get some sleep." I demand yet again, he goes to protest but I shake my head. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Wow you really do sound like your mother." He chuckles and I smile head help high. After one last shaky sigh, Remus rises to his feet, kisses Sirius' forehead, whispering "please come back Padfoot, I need you" into his hair before pulling away giving me a teary smile.

Standing up, I pull him into a tight hug rubbing his back gently. After letting go of him he gives me one last smile before walking to the door. "Remus." I call out and he stops in his tracks turning to face me. "It'll be ok, in the end."

"I really hope so Harry." He sighs hanging his head low as he leaves.


	20. Chapter 20

It was around 10 minutes after Remus left before Draco returned to the room. "Hey." He smiles taking a seat next to me.

"Hey." I reply quietly not taking my eyes of Sirius.

"How's he doing?"

"Remus told me there is a higher chance of him surviving, it's not alot but it's something." I smile looking at him and he places a hand on my shoulder.

"That's good. How's Remus doing?" He takes his hand from my shoulder turning his gaze to Sirius and I do the same.

"I'm not sure, he doesn't look to good does he?" I sigh.

"No, I'm not surprised, his best friend is in a coma." Draco states matter of factly.

"Boyfriend actually." I correct him and he smiles nodding.

"I see."

We sit in silence for a while until I speak up. "Is it ok if we visit everyday for the next 3 days? I promised Remus I would."

"Yeah of course, will it be once a day or?" He asks turning his body to face me slightly and I do the same.

"If it's ok, I'd like to visit a couple times a day." I say sheepishly.

"Alright, well we will visit in the morning, like we did today then we can go do something for the rest of the morning, somewhere near here, then grab lunch and come back then go home?" He suggests shrugging.

"Yeah, that would be good, thank you." I smile and he smiles back not taking his eyes away from mine.

"Potter." He says and I hum in response as I get more and more caught up in his eyes that are now silver in the sunlight seeping through the curtains. "Can we talk about something, it's been on my mind for a while now?"

"What is it about?" I ask starting to get worried.

"Us." He replies simply and I see a hint of smile on his lips.

"What about us?" I press as butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"Well-" he starts but is cut off as someone bursts in the room calling my name.

"Ron!" I shout excitedly rising to my feet and running to my best friend who embraces me in a hug.

"Hey Harry." He says and I feel him smiling against my shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as we pull away.

"Well, we were out in town and we passed Professor Lupin who told us you were here, mum really wants to see you." He laughs rolling his eyes. "And woah Harry, loving this new style of yours, suits you well."

"Well I guess I'm gonna have to come see her then aren't I?" I beam at the thought of seeing Molly, she has become like a mother to me and I really do miss her. "And thank you, just trying something out."

"She has invited you to lunch by the way, there is a little restaurant we tend to go to when we are here." He tells me smiling.

"I'd love to." I say excitedly but then I see Ron's eyes trail behind me, shit I forgot about him. "Er is it o-" I start turning to face Draco.

"Yeah of course, go have fun but meet me back here in around 2 hours so we can be with Sirius a bit more before we head home." Draco says giving me a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes, now go, I need to go shopping anyway." He laughs slightly at my sympathetic expression. We exchange nods before I walk out with Ron at my side.

"Seems like you two are getting along nicely." He teases and I roll my eyes.

"Oh shut it will you." I snap making him laugh. We talk some more about what Ron has been up to while we walk to find the rest of the Weasleys.

"Harry!" Molly squeals when she sees me and as soon as I reach her I'm pulled into her tight, bone crushing embrace.

"Bloody 'ell mum your gonna kill him if you squeeze any tighter." Ron exclaims and Molly laughs letting go of me.

"Sorry Harry, it's just so good to see you." She smiles up at me.

"It's good to see you too." I beam down at her.

"Hello Harry, how are you doing son?" Arthur asks putting a hand of my shoulder and I turn to face him.

"Good thanks how about you?" I ask smiling at Ron's father.

"Very well thank you Harry, one second, I'll go get Ginny, she wandered off somewhere." He tells me before walking away. Suddenly Fred and George pop up in front of me making me jump.

"Hello Harry." Fred and George say in unison.

"Hello guys." I laugh at my favourite duo.

"So-" Fred starts before George cuts in.

"Heard your living with Malfoy."

"Must be dreadful."

"What's the house like?"

"Is it big?"

"I bet it is."

"So what's it like?"

"It's not as dreadful as I thought it would be if I'm honest, and there house is massive, it has three floors." I laugh shaking my head.

"Wow." George exclaimes.

"Lucky you Harry."

"Better you then us though."

"Oh and by the way Harry"

"We love the new look." And with that they disappear again. Chuckling to myself I turn to find Ron who is now stood talking to Ginny so I walk over.

"Hey guys." I smile as I reach them.

"Hey Harry." Ginny says shyly then hurries away and Bill approachs us eyebrow raised as he watches his little sister scurry off. Things are kind of weird between Ginny and I, she has admitted to me that she likes me but I'm not sure about my feelings for her yet, I knew I had some type of feelings for her but I now think they belong to someone else, someone who they shouldn't belong to.

"Bill." I smile nodding my head at him.

"Harry." He nods back exchanging the smile. "How's summer treating you?"

"Pretty good actually." I laugh and he joins.

"Oh really, wasn't expecting that." He raises his eyebrow.

"Me neither if I'm honest."

"Alright, go on then, I want to walk with Harry." Ron moans and Bill puts his hands up in mock defense before giving me a look and walking off.

"So what's this restaurant we are going to?" I ask when he lets go of me.

"Well it's a bit of everything but they have the best pumpkin pasties ever, you have to try one." Ron says an admiring look on his face, he always gets this way about food.

"I will." I chuckle and we walk on for around 5 minuets before stopping outside a small restaurant. We walk inside to reveal almost like a big log cabin, it's beautiful. I follow the Weasleys as they take a seat at a big table near the back. Once we are settled and ordered Molly turns attention to me along with everyone else.

"Harry dear, tell us all about your summer so far." She smiles warmly at me.

"Ok." I say and I do just that. I start with my arrival at Malfoy manor as Ron had already told his family of the whole him forgetting situation and both Molly and Arthur apologized profusely to which I assured them it was ok. I tell them about how the first week was very much uneventful, I didn't want to tell them about the unexpected visit or nightmares, then about how we didn't talk for two weeks after a fight we had. Then I go onto how we made up and he took me around the Manors gardens, the boys tuned out for this part chatting amongst themselves as I told Molly and Ginny about all the different flowers that scattered the beautiful garden. Then I started to talk about my drawings that I showed Draco, the boys tuned back into this and Fred and George took it as their chance to tease me.

"Oh Harry." George said in a high pitched voice.

"Won't you draw me like one of your french girl Harry." Fred chimed in to which Molly smacked his arm to shush him.

Laughing I carried on telling them about how me and Draco went shopping, at this they all complimented my outfit making me blush, and how we saw my auntie and uncle there but Draco stood up for me, they were all very surprised at this and now I look back, so am I.   
By the time I'm finished the food is here and Fred and George begin to tell me about the joke shop they are planning to open this year.

"It'll be great Harry." Fred says enthusiastically before taking a big bite of his pumpkin pasty.

"Yeah, we're gonna have everything there." George adds just as excited.

"We'll have love potions-"

"Sweets-"

"Chocolates-"

"And of course-"

"Lots of pranks."

"Sounds great guys, I'll definitely have to visit." I tell them smiling widely.

"You better Harry." George says nodding his head slightly.

"We expect you to be our best customer." Fred winks at me and I laugh.

"Yeah yeah he will, now can everyone leave my best friend alone so I can talk to him." Ron whines and Fred, George and I all share a look as we chuckle to ourselves.

"Right you now have my full attention Ron." I smile turning to him.

"Finally." He huffs. "So how you liking the food?"

"It's great, these pumpkin pasties are way better than the ones you get on the train." I exclaim truthfully making Ron beam. The rest of the time we are there me and Ron chat about everything and nothing until I realise I've been here for a good hour and 45 minutes.

"I'm really sorry guys but I have to go, I want to see Sirius before we go back to Malfoys." I tell everyone as I stand up. Walking round to Molly and Arthur I give them some money. "Thank you for inviting me, hopefully I'll see you soon."

"It was our pleasure Harry but really, we will pay, we don't need your money." Arthur says trying to hand the money back so I stuff my hands in my pockets.

"I know, but I'd like to pay, thank you again." I smile and Molly pulls me into a bone crushing hug.

Once I pull away I turn to everyone else. "See you later guys."

"See you later Harry." The twins say in unison.

"Later Harry." Ron smiles biting into his third pumpkin pasty.

As I go to walk away I hear a chair scrape across the floor. "Harry wait, I'll walk with you." Ginny calls out and I stop turning around to smile at her. Once she gets to me we start walking.


	21. Chapter 21

"So living at Malfoy Manor really isn't that bad?" Ginny asks when we are outside. 

"Not really, I mean it would be if Lucius was there but he isn't so it's alright." I laugh lightly.

"But surely Draco is dreadful?" She says raising an eyebrow.

"Meh, he has his ups and downs but he isn't all bad you know." I tell her and she frowns. "What?" 

"I just don't want you getting hurt." She says sheepishly.

"I won't." I reassure her. "I'm Harry Potter after all." I nudge her shoulder and we laugh. The rest of the walk just consists of us talking about a lot of random stuff but the tension between us is very much noticed by us both. Finally we get to the hospital and as we walk in Ginny grabs my arm looping hers through mine and I look at her confused. 

"Sorry, hospitals give me the creeps." She says blushing and looking down.

"Oh, it's fine." I say feeling the heat rush to my own cheeks. We don't talk as I concentrate on trying to remember where to go but luckily we find the room in no time at all and walk in the room to reveal Draco sat by the bed. As soon as he notices our linked arms his face drops and I quickly pull my arm from Ginny's who gives me a weird look. "Um hey." I say to Draco suddenly shy. 

"Hi." He says bluntly turning his expression away from us before standing and walking to the door. "I'll give you and your girlfriend some privacy."

"What did he mean girlfriend?" Ginny asks as soon as he is gone and I shrug truthfully, I have no clue what he meant by that. "Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" She ask catching me completely off guard and I have to take a few minutes to collect myself. 

"Um, I-i don't really know at the minute i-" I manage to get out not wanting to say anymore as I do not trust my mouth. 

"Oh ok, is there someone else?" She asks looking down.

I bite my lip thinking for a moment before my gaze drifts to the little window on the door exposing Draco who is stood looking as glum as Ginny yet, my heart only aches for him. "I think so." I tell her bringing my gaze back to look at her. 

"I see." She says in such a small voice it's almost inaudible. "Im-im gonna go, see you soon Harry." And with that she leaves, I want to go after her but, I don't and am honestly relived when she is out of the doors.   
Running my hands through my hair I walk over to sit with Sirius. Only seconds later Draco joins me.

"Ready to go?" He asks bluntly not looking at me.

"Yeah." I sigh and we leave. Both the train and car ride home are painfully awkward and quiet and I plan to talk to Draco about it when we get back but as soon as he locks the front door he goes to his room without a word. Not this again. 

Deciding I don't want to have to wait another two weeks to talk to him when things between us are progressing I go to his room. Taking a minute when I get there I lean against the wall and think about why I'm doing this. 

Why am I trying so hard to be his friend? I've never wanted to be his friend before? Why now? Well that's not entirely true, I had wanted to be his friend when we met at Hogwarts when we were eleven but he was rude to Ron and I wasn't having someone be mean to my first friend, despite my desperate want to be friends with Malfoy. 

Maybe I want this so badly now because we couldn't have it then. I probably shouldn't be forgiving him so easily for all he has put me through over the years but I feel that wasn't him, that was his father's puppet, the real Draco is the one I've met over the past couple days, the singer, the guitarist, the boy who likes the little things, that is Draco. 

Knocking on his door I call through "Malfoy?" Just like last time, nothing. "Please open up!" I shout sternly through the door. "This is ridiculous! Why do you keep shutting me out!?" I shout letting my anger get the best of me and I'm surprised when the door swings open.

"Because, I am so helplessly in love with you, Harry James Perfect Potter. I am in love with the boy who lived, the boy I'll never be good enough for, the boy who will never love me back, the boy who would rather be with mini Weaslby! This was never how it was supposed to go! You weren't supposed to come here this summer. You weren't supposed to kiss me back. Don't you know how vunrable you make me, how when I see you I just want to be able to feel your touch, hear you voice even if it's yelling at me. I fucking hate you, so fucking much, when I'm around you, just you, everything changes, I change, I hate this control you have over me, yet...I still want you so bad, so fucking bad, but you don't want me." He shouts, his voice breaking with every few words, anger, hatred, love spilling into each syllable as i stand stunned and completely helpless in front of him.

Gasping, Draco tries to shut the door, his face turning a deep shade of red, but I put my foot in the way.

He struggles for a few seconds, kicking my foot with his own but I don't budge, and finally he sighs giving up.

"Please, stop it." He looks up at me with a sad, pleadly look but I refuse to move. "Please, I can't do this anymore, I can't be around you anymore knowing I'll never be good enough for you, knowing you'll only ever want her. Don't you understand how much it kills me to see you with her? You know, I was going to tell you, how I felt, when we were at the hospital, I was going to tell you how we could work through our difference and how we could make it work but red head butted in then the other one came waltzing in clung onto you, and that made it clear. I was so wrong, we can't make it work can we Potter, it will never work, you only have eyes for her." 

His voice is so quiet, almost a whisper and I watch him carefully as his shoulders slump and he squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears.

I feel my stomach twist in sympathy, this blonde Slytherin is so helplessly broken and it breaks me to think I am one of the causes. 

I always thought, the boy who lived and the boy with no choice could ever be together, but in this moment, watching the blonde break in front of me, spilling his heart out, sober this time, I know they can be together, they will be together, merlin, how did it take me this long to realise.

"Malfoy, don't you understand, I don't want to be with Ginny, I always thought I did but I didn't, I never did, I only thought I did as it seemed the wise, easy choice but I don't want to take that choice anymore." I begin to say fixating my eyes on his. "I want the harder choice, the choice that will leave us both so broken but it will be worth it. I want to be with you, and only you." Our eyes pierce into eachothers soles as we stand, completely frozen and in a trance taking everything in. 

Suddenly Draco, opens the door, fully, and steps forward grabbing my face in his cold hands bringing his lips to mine in a viscous yet passionate kiss that sends shivers down my whole body. 

No kiss has ever felt like this, not with Cho, not with Ginny, not even with the other kisses I had with Draco, this one feels special, it's raw but meaningful, angry but loving, it's amazing.

A hint of salt lingers in our kiss as we both find ourselves letting the built up tears fall. 

"Merlin, I hate you Harry Potter." He had heartedly laughs, pulling me into his room and kicking the door shut.

As he continues to kiss me, he guides us over to the bed, turning us around so when we reach it, I fall back onto it.

Not taking his lips from mine, he climbs on top of me, sliding his tongue along my bottom lip requesting access and I happily grant it, moaning quietly as his tongue slips into my mouth.

"Beautiful." He smirks. "So fucking beautiful."

My hands find their way to his blonde hair gripping into it tightly, causing a moan to escape his lips, sending shivers down my spine.

His fingers slip across the bare bit of skin where my jumper has lifted up and goosebumps jump from under my skin as I shudder. 

Smiling he gives me a final kiss before kissing along my jaw and to my neck, sucking lightly on the skin until he finds my sweet spot. 

Grunting in triumph, he sucks on the skin, swiping his tongue along it as he does. 

"Now Weaslette will know your mine." He smiles proudly down at me before pecking my lips.

His eyes search my face as one of his hands, the one not propping him up, runs down my side until it gets to my waistband. 

A look of fear crosses my face, which he definitely notices, and I try to look away to hide my embarrassment but his cold hand reaches for my face turning it back to him.

Giving me a look if understanding, he leans down pecking my lips once again before climbing off of me and moving himself to the head of the bed causing a frown to play at my lips. 

Once he has settled himself into a half sitting position, he opens his arms up and I sheepishly crawl into them.

Reaching down, he circles the place where he had left a hickey and gives a hearty laugh. "Beautiful."

"I like this Malfoy." I laugh.

"Me too, I haven't seen him in a while." I can hear a glimpse of sadness in his voice and frown but don't comment upon it.


	22. Chapter 22

"Malfoy?" I say after a while of just laying on his chest. It's strange really, laying here, cuddled up to the boy who has been my enemy since we were 11. Once I hear him hum in response I reposition my head so I'm looking at him, his eyes are closed. "What are we?" 

I watch as his face twists then his lips turn into a smirk. "What do you want us to be?"

"I don't know, I mean, if we are going to do this, I want it to be real and to mean something to the both of us, I want us to be on the same page." He nods in understanding so I continue. "But I don't know if I want to label it yet, I want you to know, I do want to be with you but, it all seems so real when you label it you know?" He nods again. "And as soon as it's real, that means, well, I've chucked away the easy option." He frowns. "But that's not a bad thing because look, I got the difficult option but that's means I got the handsome blonde." I smile and he smirks down at me. "I'm really not good with words or explaining-"

"I know." He chuckles. "But that's ok, because I understand what you mean, and it's fine, take all the time you need ok, we don't need to make it official or put a label on it just yet." I look up to smile at him and he pecks a kiss on my nose heating my cheeks. "Just don't be too long." I chuckle and nuzzle back into his chest. 

"Thank you." I smile, happily drifting into a peaceful sleep.

I wake up a while later to the soft sound of humming. Dracos chest vibrates slightly under me telling me it's him who is making the soothing noise. I decide to lay there a little longer, enjoying it before taking a deep breath and stretching as I sit up. 

"Morning sleepy head." Draco teases adjusting my wonky glasses on my face. "Sleep well." 

"That I did, I don't know if anyone's ever told you Malfoy, but your extremely comfy." I smirk but his face falls slightly and I look at him with a questioning look which he shakes off. 

"Thank you." He says trying his best to let a smirk creep onto his face but fails. 

"Are you ok? Did I say something?" I ask as I watch his eyes awkwardly look down at his lap as he plays with his rings. 

"No, yeah I'm fine, you didn't say anything wrong." He smiles weakly and I go to push further but he stops me. "It's a conversation for another day, plus food should be here soon, I told the house elves to start preparing the food when I felt you stir." 

"Thank you." I smile warmly at him. "How long was I asleep?" 

"Hmmm, only around 30 minutes." He tells me just as a click is heard from across the room.

"Master Draco, Mr Potter, here is your dinner." Timmy smiles walking over to us with a tray placing it down in front of us. 

"I didn't know if you had a big lunch so I asked him to make you a pasta dish." Draco tells me carefully taking the mug, filled with some type of soup, from the tray. 

"Thank you, it looks delicious." I smile at the house elf and he pops away happily. I take a bite of the dish and let out a pleased moan to which Draco raises an eyebrow and laughs. "Um- it's just s-so good." I stutter embarrassed making him laugh more.  
We talk about random stuff for the rest of the meal and Draco asks me if I had a nice time with the Weasleys and I said yes, telling him all about it.

Once both of us are finished Draco summons Timmy to take our stuff away.

"Malfoy." I say, settled nicely on his chest and he hums in response. "Do you have any floo powder?" 

"Yes, why?" He asks and I look up to see a puzzled look on his face then it clicks. "Ohhh, I'm so stupid, we'll use that from now on." He laughs and I laugh along with him.

"Yeah I only just thought of it, guess we were just caught up in other stuff." 

The next couple of days go smoothly, we don't do much except visit Sirius and occasionally go out in the town near the hospital, I also write Hermione a letter concerning my, current situation, that I am very grateful Draco hasn't brought up again.

Dear Hermione,

I hope you are doing well, I miss you lots, and so does Ron although he tries not to show it. I've been visiting Sirius, there isn't much news except there is a slightly higher chance of him surviving, which is very good. While at my first visit, I saw Ron and ended up going for lunch with the Weasleys, it was very nice and they are all doing well, I'm guessing Ron hasn't written you any letters yet. 

Anyway, I have something very important to talk to you about, I really hate to do this while your on holiday, how is it by the way? But I don't know who else to talk to about it. Is there any other way I can contact you, I feel talking to you will be much easier than writing. 

Wish you all the best.

Harry. 

Unfortunately, she had not yet responded despite me sending it on the Friday and it now being Monday, maybe she is just busy.

Today is the day Remus will be visiting Sirius after not seeing him for a couple of days for the first time. Me and Draco were sure to get there early so that we were there before him, to just make sure everything was ok.

"How is he doing?" I ask the doctor who is currently checking on Sirius. 

"He's doing good, he's no better but no worse." She tells me as she finishes up checking his last tube before leaving.   
As I'm about to sit down next to Draco, Remus burst into the room but stops dead in his tracks when he sees us. He looks at me, as if he is asking permission, I nod and he rushes over to Sirius, flinging something out of his pocket in the process but not even noticing as he burries his head in his boyfriends neck.

"I've missed you so much." I hear him whisper as I pick up the small box that came out of his pocket. After a few minutes, Remus pulls away and looks at us with tears resting, ready to pour down his face. I open my arms and falls into my embrace. "I'm sorry." He sobs. "I'm such a mess." 

"It's ok, you don't have to apologize." I rub his back. "I would be the same." When he pulls away I hand him the box. "What is it?" I ask as he takes it from me. 

"Um, it's our promise ring." He tells me shyly then opens the box to reveal a silver ring with a black stripe around it.'"We got it as a way to connect us without anyone being suspicious." And then he shows me his, it's exactly the same. "We both have different things engraved into ours, his says 'Moonys forever' and mine says 'Padfoots forever' I found it in his draw he has at mine and Tonks house, he took it off before he came to the ministry because he didn't want it to be damaged. I thought m-maybe I could bring it here because I thought that maybe...no it's silly never mind." He says looking down sadly.

"I'm sure it's not, just tell me." I reassure him and he looks up then looks at Draco who takes that as his que to leave.

"I'll wait out here." He smiles walking through the doors and I nod then pull Remus to sit next to me.

Taking a deep breath he explains sheepishly "I just thought maybe, if I put it back on his finger it might, I don't know, not wake him up, but make him realise I'm here."

"Remus, he knows your here, but that is a very good idea, even if it doesn't do anything, at least you know you tried." I give him a reassuring smile placing a hand on his shoulder and he smiles sadly back. 

"Ok, here we go." He says reaching over and taking Sirius' pale hand in his slipping the ring on his middle finger. Remus watches him, all pleading in his eyes for him to do something, anything and...he does.

We both gasp as Sirius middle finger pushes down, ever so slightly on the palm on Remus's hand.   
"Did he just?" He looks at me with a massive, but shocked, smile on his face. 

"He just." I reply excitedly before running to the door as Remus sits there staring as happy as I've ever seen him at Sirius. "Get the nurse, quick." I practically shout at Draco and his head snaps up from the paper he had been reading. 

"What why? What's happened? Is he ok?" Draco shoots up concerned.

"Yes more than ok, Sirius moved, only slightly but he moved!" I beam and Draco smiles before rushing away.   
Just moments after I return to the room with Remus, a nurse comes rushing in. 

"What's the problem?" She ask quicky coming to Sirius' side. 

"He moved." Remus smiles up at her and she watches him shocked. "I brought our promise ring here and after I put it on him, he moved the finger it's on." He explains and she thinks for a moment. "Padfoot, my love, please, try do it again, please, you can do it I know you can." Remus says softly but Sirius does nothing. "Please, for me my love, for Harry." He pleads and the nurse looks at him sympathetically. "Please." Remus says one last time rubbing his thumb over Sirius' promise ring. Just when he is about to give up, he feels a small press on his palm and he snaps his head up to look at the nurse. "Did you see that? Please say you saw that!" 

"I did, wow this is amazing." She exclaimes. "This is a very rare occurrence Mr Lupin. Is there anything you can bring him, anything at all, it might help wake him." 

I watch hopefully as Remus racks his brain then his face lights up. "Well I do have a bracelet I got him, will that do?" He asks and she nods enthusiastically. "What about a jumper of mine, would that be possible, there is one he used to love wearing." He tells her smiling at the memory.

"We don't usually allow that but I will allow it." She says and he thanks her. "Is there any pictures you have, you know that you can explain to him, sometimes people in comas can hear you." 

"Yes I do, it's not alot but I do." He tells her. "Harry, do you have any?" 

"I have one I keep in my bag of us two, and I have some others of you two with my parents, is that ok?" I ask trying to think of anything else I may have.

"Yes, thank you Harry." He beams and I smile back happy I can help.


	23. Chapter 23

I end up spending the rest of the day with Remus and Sirius, telling Draco to go home and that I'll meet him there. He protested slightly but finally gave in.

"Well it's been really nice seeing you Remus but I better head back now, don't want Draco worrying now do we, Merlin knows what he'll do." I chuckle and he laughs along.

"It was nice seeing you too Harry." He smiles. "I think I'm going to stay a little while longer." 

"Ok. Um I also came up with an arrangement if your ok with that." I say and he nods indicating for me to continue. "I was thinking that maybe me and Draco could visit in the mornings then we'll leave at lunch and then maybe you come after lunch to spend time here incase you decide to stay the night," he looks at me strangely. "The nurses told me you tend to stay the night with him." I explain and he looks down. "I thought maybe that would be good so you could stay overnight if you want then you can go home to freshen yourself up and then come back later."

"That sounds like a really nice idea Harry." Remus smiles looking up at me. "Thank you." He stands giving me a hug then we say our goodbyes and I floo back to Malfoy Manor.

"I'm back." I call out and I hear footsteps as Draco approaches.

"Hey." He smiles walking into the room and handing me a letter. "I'm guessing it's Hermione." He tells me a slight sadness in his eyes.

"Thank you." I smile taking the letter that is heavier than expected from him. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine, if you don't mind I'm going to practice guitar in my room." He nods trying his best to give me a reassuring smile.

Deciding not to push further I nod too.

"I'll come get you when dinner is ready." He says before leaving the room.

I take a second before going to my allocated room. I really want to push further, see what's wrong, but I know he will just end up getting mad. Is it because I sent him home? Is it because I was gone so long? Is it because my main focus today was Sirius and Remus? No that couldn't be it, Draco is cold hearted but not that cold hearted. Shaking it off I plop down onto the bed and open Hermione's letter. As I unfold the parchment something falls out, a phone.

Dear Harry,

I am so sorry this took so long to get to you, there has been ghastly snow storms here and I just couldn't let Hedwig out in it.

Now I know where he is, I just figured he may have got lost.

I miss you and Ronald so much too, I can't wait to see you both. As of Sirius, I'm so glad your going to see him, it's good for you and it's good he is making progress.

Now for need to talk to me. I have put in this letter my old Muggle phone, it has my mother's number already saved in it, I don't see the need for me having a phone, please call me right away and we can discuss.

Can't wait to talk to you.

Hermione

After reading the letter I put a quick silencing charm on the room then turn on the phone which automatically unlocks.

I have never used a Muggle phone but I've seen Dudley use one enough to know how it works.

Going into the contacts app I click the contact saved as 'Mum' then press the call bottom and bring the phone to my ear as it starts to ring. It rings a couple of times before it is answered and Hermiones mum's voice calls down the phone.

"Hello?" She says, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Hello Mrs Granger, it is Harry." I greet politely. "I was hoping to talk to Hermione please."

"Oh yes, hello Harry, Hermione said you were going to call, let me just get her for you." She tells me and I thank her before hearing her call out Hermiones name. "She'll be here in a second dear."

"Harry?" Hermiones voice sounds through the phone only seconds later.

"Hello Hermione." I smile, it's great to hear her voice.

"Hello Harry, oh it's so good to hear your voice." She says excitedly and I chuckle. "Now what is it you want to talk about."

Taking a deep breath I get myself comfy in the bed. "You can't freak out with what I'm about to tell you ok?"

"Ok?" She says concern clear in her voice.

"So, I have a bit of a problem you see, there may or may not be a possibility that me and Draco, well...fancy eachother." I stop for a second ready for her to lash out but instead she snorts.

"Is that not common knowledge?" She chuckles and I roll my eyes. "I mean I already knew."

"Would it of killed you to let me know, then maybe I wouldn't be in this situation." I tease and she laughs again.

"So what actually is the situation?"

"Well I'm a bit stuck, you see, it feels like I'm supposed to be with Ginny, everything with her would be so simple, so easy, so planned out and I thought I wanted that, but now I'm not so sure if I do want that." I explain and she hums indicating for me to carry on. "I don't know that I want the easy way anymore Mione, I like Ginny, I really really do you know but with Draco, it's just so exciting, so new. With him I can be who I want to be without being scared, I know that sounds weird since we've literally despised eachother since we were 11 but I just feel so myself around him. I really like him and he really likes me and I owe it to him to give him an answer but I don't know what I want, well that's kind of a lie, I do know what I want but, I don't want to make it official you know, because then it's all real."

"This is a tricky one Harry, you say you do still like Ginny...in that way?" She asks and I think for a moment, do I? Yes, I do.

"Yeah."

"Ok, your not gonna like this but I think the best way is tell Malfoy you have decided then when you say 'i want to be with' say who comes to mind first because then you'll really know who it is you want to be with. I know you say you want to be with Draco, but to make it official, and to make it real, you need to be certain, and having that certainty may help you to well, accept it's real." She was right, I didn't like the idea, it felt like it wouldn't work but I guess I'll give it a go.

"Ok, thank you Mione."

"Of course Harry." Even though I can't see her I know she has a very proud smile on her face. I hear someone say something in the background then she calls ok back to them. "I have to go now Harry but I hope all goes well, if there is an emergency call me ok?"

"Ok, thank you again." I thank and we say our goodbyes.


	24. Chapter 24

After a few minutes of thinking, I release the silencing charm to a tapping at the door.

"Dinner!" Draco calls before walking away.

Mentally preparing myself for the events soon to take place, I head downstairs. 

"Hey." I say walking into the dining room, taking my usual seat opposite the Slytherin.

"Hey." He smiles, well at least he is in a better mood.

Not long after being seated, I am served a roast dinner which I am sure I would've enjoyed if I wasn't so caught up in thoughts.

What if I say Ginny? Will he kick me out right there and then? Will it break his heart? Will he hate me? But what if I say him? Will it change everything? What will I tell Ginny? How will I tell Ginny? Merlin, what will I tell Ron?!

"Potter are you even listening to me?" Draco snaps angrily and I look up heat rising to my cheeks.

"No I'm really sorry, please continue." I apologize sheepishly.

"Never mind, would you like anymore or are you finished?" He asks giving me a funny look.

Confused I look down to see that I've eaten everything on my plate. "No thank you."

Nodding again he summons Timmy and I watch nervously as the house elf tidies everything up.

When he finally finished I look up to see Draco looking at me expectantly, I guess he noticed I wanted to talk to him, can't back down now.

Taking a deep breath I shakily say "I've decided" and he scans my face puzzled for a second before his pale skin turns ghost like.

"Are you sure? You can take more time if you nee-"

"You!" I blurt out before I know what I'm doing. Dam it Harry, you didn't even wait to say the words 'i want to be with'. But why did I blurt that out? Is it- do i-? Wait- how have I been so stupid of course I want-

"W-what?" Draco stutters shocked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I- you, your who I want to be with. How could I never of seen this before?" I laugh and he watches me a bit concerned. "Sure I love Ginny, so much." His face drops so I quickly add. "But it is not the love a boyfriend holds for a girlfriend, no it's the love a brother holds for a sister. I am so so sorry it's taken me so dam long but Draco Lucius Malfoy, you are who I want, you are who I've always wanted, and I don't care anymore, I want it to be real."

I watched as Draco just stares at me, not moving, not doing anything, just staring. Fuck. Did I mess up? Did it come out wrong? Am I too late?

"Are you sure?" Draco asks finally breaking the silence and now it's my turn to stare, confused. "Do you want this? Like, really want this because I can't have my heart broken, not again." Again? What does he mean, again?

"Yes. Merlin Draco, yes!" I reassure him. He carries on staring for a moment before the smirk I've grown to love so much takes over his lips.

“Well fucking come over here and give me a hug then, boyfriend.” He grins making me smile like an idiot, wow I like the sound of that. As soon as I reach the blonde, he grabs my hips pulling me on his lap so I am straddling him, and wraps his arms around my back, nuzzling his head into my chest. Blood rushes to my cheeks and I hide my face in his shoulder, snaking my arms around his neck. “Merlin, you have no clue how long I’ve wanted this.”

“Dra- can I um call you that now?” I ask hesitantly after a long period of silence and he chuckles before humming a yes.

After my little confession, we moved to the living room to watch lion king again, Draco was becoming very fond of it, and I was currently laying in front of him, my back against his chest, his arm draped over my body and head in my hair. “Ok, Draco, can I ask you something?”

“That depends on what it is.” He replies and I turn my body to face him, propping myself up to face him.

“Does this feel weird?” I question, sheepishly pointing between us.

Sighing, Draco too props himself up on his elbow so we are at eye level. “Yeah I guess I mean it would be strange if it didn’t, we’ve been enemies since we were eleven then bippity boppity boo we are confessing our feelings to each other, what isn’t weird about that?” he laughs not letting his eyes take themselves away from mine. “But holding you doesn’t feel weird, it feels right, like you’re no longer the boy who lived, your no longer the boy I bullied everyday just to get your bloody attention, your just Harry, my Harry.” My heart aches at his words and butterflies rush to my stomach but I cant help the chuckle that escapes my lips. "Bet you loved that didn't you Potter?" Draco scoffs trying not to laugh as a warm feeling arises in my chest, the memory of second year in the library coming to mind. "Watching me go all soft. Dam it Potter you really do have that power over me." He chuckles shaking his head in an attempt to sulk and I feel my face heat up at the thought that I make him this way. "But it seems I also have a type of power over you." He smirks noticing my reddening cheeks. "You do look rather flustered Harry."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." I roll my eyes covering my embarrassment as I push his chest a little then roll back over. "Now let's watch the film shall we?"   
I hear him chuckle behind me but he doesn't argue instead he goes back to our position from earlier, his arm around my body, his head in my hair. 

We lay there for a little while longer, neither one of us really watching the film, instead thinking about eachother before I begin to shiver. 

I'd been cold for a while now, this was not a very pleasant summers evening, but I didn't want to say anything as my jumper was being washed and well, I didn't have any others. I was tempted to ask Draco for his but I decided not to, based on the fear he isn't into the whole cheesy sharing jumpers shiz.

"Are you cold?" Draco asks into my hair only making me shiver further.

"No not at all, I tend to shiver when I'm not actually." I say sarcastically and I can feel his glare.

"Don't get all snappy with me Potter." He growls playfully back. "Now, would you like to go get a jumper?"

"It's in the wash." I state trying to to shiver too much.

"Do you not have any others?" He asks, confusion clear in his voice.

"No." I reply sheepishly.

"Well that was a bit stupid wasn't it?" He says and I look round to see his eyebrow raised.

"Hey I didn't think it was gonna be cold, it's Summer after all." I protest and he rolls his eyes before swinging his legs over my body and standing. "Where are you going?" I ask but he doesn't reply instead he just walks off. Shrugging, I sit up turning my body to continue watching the film.  
Draco comes back moments later and throws a jumper straight at my face making me jump. "Hey!" I groan pulling the piece of clothing off me.

"Hello." He smiles and I roll my eyes.

"What was that for?" I whine.

"Well, you see that, what your holding is called a jumper, usually you put it on when your cold and your cold so I'm giving you my jumper." He replies in a mocking tone. "...to put on."

"Yes ok I get it." I snap sulking. Laughing he comes back over jumping behind me and laying in his spot from earlier watching as I pull the dark green, almost black jumper over my head. Once it is fully on and comfortable I look down at Draco, who is still staring. "What?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, you just look really hot in my jumper." He teases and I blush quickly laying down so he doesn't see the colour rising to my cheeks. He's right, he does have a type of power over me.

As I pull the jumper up to cover half of my face, Draco's scent hits me and I sigh at the comfort it brings me.

"Thank you." I mutter, not sure if he actually heard because of how muffled it came out, with help of the jumper. Chuckling behind me he pulls me closer and I feel my eyes grow heavy at this scent.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW of abuse in this chapter, both where it happens and where Harry explains it.

I wake up to a warm feeling inside my chest and I haven't felt this happy in a long time.

Rolling over I notice I am no longer on the sofa and Draco is no longer behind me, instead, I'm on a hard, cold mattress in a dark room that is all too familiar.

Suddenly the door swings open to reveal just what I'd been dreading.

My uncle.

"Get up boy!" Vernon shouts as he grabs my jumper pulling me to my feet and I look down to see I'm not wearing Draco's anymore but Dudley's old oversized one. "So I hear your dating a boy!" My uncle bellows throwing me into the kitchen. "And he's a Malfoy." How does he know about me and Draco and how does he know about the Malfoys?

"I-i don't know what your talking about." I say as convincingly as I can.

"Don't lie to me boy!" He shouts as his hand collides with my face. "You don't deserve him! You don't deserve anyone!" His words hit me just as hard as the second slap to my face and I feel myself sink to the floor hopelessly, my back against the counter, just to receive a kick to the stomach. "You are nothing boy! Nothing! He deserves to be with a somebody!" Another blow to the stomach. "Not a nobody!" And another this one a lot harder causing me to call out in agony.

"Stop!" I shout. "please."

"Don't raise your voice in my house boy." And with that my uncle kicks one last blow to my stomach before I hear a whisper, a whisper I've so longed to hear since being here, at this dreadful place.

"Harry, wake up it's just a dream." The voice says and I'm finally pulled out of the dream to be met with beautiful grey eyes. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"My uncle, he-" I start but a sob escaping from my lips stops me and Draco instantly pulls me into his chest, he must've turned me over when he was trying to wake me.

"It's ok, your safe now." The blonde whispers into my hair calming me down within seconds. Gripping tightly to his top, pressing my head to his chest I let a few more tears stream down my face before I finally pull myself together. Draco soothingly rubs my back as I regain myself. "What happened Harry?"

Taking a deep breath I pull away from his body and sit up as I fiddle with my hands. "I woke up and I wasnt here...with you, instead I was in the cupboard under the stairs." I begin but am instantly greeted with a confused expression. Right, he doesn't know about my life at the Dursleys. "I- they put me under the stairs, that's where I slept from when I was a baby till second year when they gave me Dudley's second bedroom." I explain and Draco begins to look angry so I move on. "Anyway, my uncle opened the door and pulled me out saying he knew about us and well...your family. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about and then he slapped me and then...he told me that...I didn't deserve you, that I didn't deserve anyone. He told me that you wouldn't want to date someone like me, a nobody. He started kicking me after that as I was now on the floor then, well you woke me." I keep my eyes on my hands as I let my uncles words seep in, their venom poisoning my brain with each repetition, starting to believe them.

"Hey, look at me." Draco finally says using his finger to turn my head back to face him. "It was a dream ok, your uncles words meant nothing and they sure as hell weren't true, you deserve the fucking world Harry Potter, never forget that and you are not a nobody." He tells me looking deep into my eyes before a smirk grows on his lips. "I mean you are my boyfriend so you definitely aren't a nobody cause being associated with me in anyway makes you a pretty big deal."

Rolling my eyes I shake my head. "You do think rather highly of yourself don't you."

"Of course I do, I am the superior after all." He says smuggly holding his head high.

"You wish." I scoff crawling off the sofa with a smirk on my face before turning back to a pouty Draco. "Now get ready we are going to see Sirius." He gives me a funny look so I give him my best smile. "I'm fine now, really."

He doesn't seem convinced but nods getting up and following me.

After getting ready me and Draco meet in the living room and as soon as I walk in he gives me a another funny look.  
"What?" I ask starting to feel a bit self-conscious as he continues to stare.

"Oh nothing, it's just your still wearing my jumper he." He states a smile making its way to his face.

"Oh sorry, do you want it back?" I quickly question starting to pull the jumper up but Draco comes over, pulling it back down.

"No of course not weirdo." He teases as a smirk crawls onto his lips. "Plus you look hot in it."

"Whatever, can we go now?" I roll my eyes walking into the fire place to hide my blush earning a chuckle from Draco.

We floo to Sirius who now has many pictures surrounding him and a black bracelet on his wrist, Remus must of gone home last night to get it then come back. Reaching into my back pocket I pull out my own picture, the one I had told Remus about then I walk over to my Godfather taking a seat next to him.

"Hey Padfoot." I smile. "I brought you a picture, it's of you, mum, dad and Remus, I've always loved this picture, you all look so happy, Remus looks so happy..." I trail off thinking of Remus' current state. "He really needs you Sirius, I know your trying, you would never go down without a fight, but please, come back soon."

I watch him for a while longer, hoping, though I know nothing will happen, that he will do something anything, but he doesn't.

Sitting back in my seat I sigh, I miss him so much. Draco walks over from his spot near the door and sits next me, awkwardly wrapping his arm around me and I unconsciously lean into him. He doesn't say anything, instead he just holds me and I'm grateful for that.

"Harry?" Draco says after a while and I hum looking up at him. "Have you ever been to the zoo?"

Random question. "Yeah, once but I ended up talking to a snake which I later let out of its vivarium by accident as I somehow made the glass disappear causing Dudley to fall in." I chuckle at the memory and earn a laugh from Draco.

"Impressive." The blonde replies giving me a proud look and I hold my head high causing him to roll his eyes while trying to hold back a laugh.

"Why'd you ask?" I question curiously.

"Oh yeah, I should probably tell you, we are going to the zoo today." He smiles.

"Wait really?!" I gape at him, I've been wanting to go back to the zoo for so long.

"Would I lie to you?" He says in a mock hurt tone and I almost jump for joy...but i don't.

"I can't wait!" I beam. "Ever since that one incident I was never allowed to go with them when they went to the zoo and I've been dying to go." His face drops.

"Harry, can I ask you something?" He asks and I nod, already kinda of knowing what the question may be. "Now you don't have to answer if you feel uncomfortable but...what did they do to you, your aunt and uncle? How did they treat you?"

Sighing I pull away from his embrace, getting myself comfy on my seat, preparing myself, it's about time I told someone else, it might be good for me. "Not great thats for sure." I laugh half-heartedly, directing my eyes to look at Sirius. "For as long as I can remember they mentally abused me, my uncle the most, but my cousin more and more as he got older, my aunt wasnt as much of a problem. They would call me names and tell me I wasn't good enough, that they would have never sacrificed themselves for me, like my parents did." I begin now looking at my hands. "I started to believe them you know, their words really got to me so I started to lash out a bit, my temper getting worse and worse, but that just led to punishment, extra chores and occasionally a slap round the face from my uncle." Draco gasps but I continue. "Every other day, I would make breakfast, clean that all away, tidy and hoover downstairs, make lunch, tidy up after lunch, tidy and hoover upstairs and finally make dinner before doing any extra bits they wanted me to do. On the other days I would, again do all the cooking but instead of hoovering and tidying I would sort out the garden or do the washing. Extra chores would be something like washing every dish three times, just for the hell of it really, they found it amusing I guess." I shrug. "Sometimes though, instead of extra chores they would lock me in my room with no food or water, occasionally, I wouldn't eat for days, depending on how long I was left in there for. The only visits I would get while locked away were unpleasant visits from my uncle coming to hit me because he was in a bad mood or my cousin coming to beat me up after a bad day at school." Finally I look up to see Draco staring at me, mouth open slightly and eyes wide. I've never shared that much information with anyone in one go before, ever, so I'm almost holding the same expression as the blonde.

"Harry, oh my- I'm so sorry they did that to you." His voice clear with sympathy before filling with venom. "They are disgusting, vile creatures! No one should ever be treated with that much disrespect! It's outrages, it's disgraceful, it's-" I cut him off by placing my hand on his and his eyes look up to meet mine.

"I know, they were terrible people but I'm not with them am I? They can't do anything to me now." I smile weakly and he nods as the reddening in his face returns to his usual pale colour.

"I know I know." He breathes. "It's just, no one should have to feel that way, or be treated that way, Harry, please tell me you don't believe their words anymore do you?" I bite my lip, not being able to give him the response he is looking for and his face drops. Quickly he moves to kneel in front of me so that instead of looking at the floor I'm looking at him and he takes my hands in his own. "Harry listen to me" he says in a stern but sympathetic voice. "I'm not good at all this sappy shit and I think you know that." The blonde chuckles earning a smile from me before continuing. "You are good enough, Merlin your more than good enough and don't you dare think for one second you aren't worth dieing for because most definitely are. You have helped so many people Harry, even if it means your in danger, you deserve the world Harry Potter, don't you forget that." I look at him in awe, tears threatening to spill my eyes before he quickly inhales and stands. "No crying we are going to the zoo now." And old Draco's back.

"You really are terrible with emotions aren't you." I teases chuckling slightly.

"Yes, and you don't need to remind me." He huffs just making me laugh more. "Now come on will you, we need to leave before Lupin gets here or you two will be gossipping for hours and I actually fancy going to the zoo at some point today." Yep old Draco is definitely back.

I shake my head and grin placing my hand in his outstretched one helping me up but to my suprise he doesn't let go once I'm up, instead he keeps hold of it and leads me over to the fire place in the corner so we can floo and I get a fluttering feeling in my stomach.


	26. Chapter 26

We end up flooing to a small back alley of a street where we are picked up by a muggle taxi and then taken to a muggle train station. Draco said he wanted to be as far away from witches and wizards as he possibly can so that he can hold my hand without the fear of being caught, which made me blush, despite the fact he said it so casually, as if we were discussing what to have for dinner.

When on the train we saw no wizards or witches at all, when living in a world full of them you tend to be able to detect who is Muggle and who is magic, though we did still get a few odd stares, some muggles aren't accepting either. The train ride was 20 minutes then we got off just to get back onto another train, this one far more crowded, all definitely muggles. Luckily this ride is only around 10 minutes.

Once we get off the train, Draco leads me out of the station and into a small, yet buzzing, muggle town, very unlike the one in which I lived with my aunt and uncle. After passing a few houses we stop by the side of the road while Draco summons a taxi and even when inside the vehicle he doesn't let go of my hand.

Draco and I make small talk on the short ten minute journey, and I occasionally bring the driver into the conversation. He was a very nice man, he told us about his wife who he had been with since he was our age and who he now had two beautiful children with. He ended up showing us, well mainly me, Draco wasn't too interested, a picture of his son and daughter, ages 11 and 8. It was nice, talking to someone who didn't know who I was, someone who had a normal Muggle life.

When the journey was over, Draco thanked and payed they driver before pulling me out of the car with him.   
"Muggles don't bloody shut up." The blonde groans as soon as the car drives away and I roll my eyes.

"Oh shut up, I rather enjoyed hearing about him and his Muggle family, it was sweet." I say glaring at him.

"Of course you would, after all you have got your little mudblo-" He starts but I drop his hand stopping in my tracks. "Ok I'm sorry, that was uncalled for and rude of me." He tries to sound as un bothered as he can but I can hear the hint of apology in his tone.

"Your right it was." I scold taking his hand back in mine as he continues to lead the way. "I know you've never cared for Muggle borns but Draco she is my best friend and you need to understand that."

"I know I know." He sighs before turning his head to look at me. "I'm sorry, its no excuse but I have grown up to not like them, but I'll try...for you." I look up at him surprised.

"Thank you." I smile and his pecks my lips. "But may I ask, where is Draco Malfoy and what have you done with him." I tease and he chuckles rolling his eyes.

"Oh shut up Potter, I can be a very nice person when I want to be." He smirks raising an eyebrow before stopping outside of a large zoo sign. "Here we are."

I wait patiently by the entrance as Draco goes over to one of the little windows to pay the man and get a map, looking around me, it looks truly beautiful here.

"Hey." Draco smiles grabbing my hand again.

"Hey." I smile back.

"So, which way do you want to go first?" He asks looking at the map. "We could go left and see the big cats first, go straight and birds first or we could go right and see the reptiles first."

"Well shouldn't we go left first? It says there is a one way system here." I state pointing at a little sign on the map.

"No, we can start wherever we like, there won't be anyone around." He smiles mischievously and I watch him confused then it hits me.

"You didn't?" I gasp.

"Yes, yes I did." He continues to smirk.

"Draco." I half whine, slightly annoyed he reserved the whole fucking zoo for us but also happy that he did this for me.

"Yes Harry." The blonde replies in a mock innocent tone.

"Did it cost you alot?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"How much it costs does not matter my darling, all that matters is we get to be together and have a good time." He teases but something about the way he says it makes it seem like he is being truly genuine.

"You really have gotten soppy haven't you?" I tease nudging his shoulder lightly and he just rolls his eyes at me, the smile not leaving his lips.

"Now come on, where do you want to go first?"

"Hmm, how about we go straight?" I suggest and he just watches my face for a second.

"Now I didn't spend so many years in the closet just to go straight again Potter." He tries sounding grumpy but fails dramatically as many chuckles leave his lips after.

"Oh my- Draco, that was a terrible joke, just when I thought you couldn't get any worse." I shake my head trying to suppress a laugh.

"Hey! I thought it was actually quite good." He pouts holding his head high.

"Of course you would." I finally let my laugh out, shaking my head as I drag him towards the bird area.

We admire the birds of all colours, shapes and sizes for around 10 minutes before Draco gets bored and pulls me round to the next section which held monkeys, apes, guerillas, baboons, pandas and a sun bear, which Draco was quite fascinated with. We stayed in this section a bit longer as we both seemed to quite like looking at the monkeys and bears, they are strange but extremely smart creates.

As we walk around we see many more amazing animals, from zebras, to giraffes, to elephants, to hyenas, to sloths, to penguins and so much more, it was truly incredible.

"Draco." I say as we head towards the reptile house and he hums in response, tearing his attention from the wolf we just passed and back to me. "How do you know so much? About like all the Muggle transport and the Muggle animals?" This question has been nagging at the back of my brain since he started telling me all about pandas.

A shade of red suddenly takes over his face as he looks at the floor sheepishly. "Well, when father would have his meetings, he would tend to want me and mother out of the house so, she would take me to Muggle zoos and teach me all about animals, we went so often that if it came to it, I could get myself there on my own. I know I don't like Muggles but their animals have always been truly fascinating to me."

"Oh wow, that's actually pretty cool." I remark, not knowing what else to say really. Draco never struck me as someone who would be interested in animals. Snakes? Yes. Other animals? No, not really. But it was nice to know that for once, we may share something that we are interested in.

Although I never got to go to the zoo, I would always read books about animals or try to watch the TV whenever animals were on there at the Dursleys, something about them just...interested me.

"Yeah I guess so." He shrugs, his face returning to its normal pale colour.

"You know it's nice." I sigh squeezing Draco's hand lightly.

"What is?" He turns his head back to face me, an eyebrow raised.

"Learning new stuff about you." I smile as he cheeks flush yet again. "Stuff that I never knew about my mortal enemy." I tease and he rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so." He agrees smiling. "But enough of that, were are at the snake bit!"

I let him drag me in excitedly running straight over to the first glass cage where a lizard looking thing is. We visit many lizard type creatures and Draco tells me their real names and all about them. If I remember correctly there were, geckos, chameleons, beared dragons, komodo dragons and even one called a basilisk. I never had much interest in reptiles but they are truly amazing creatures.

Next Draco almost yanks my arm off when he spots the snakes. I watch him in complete awe as he lists off names and facts about all the snakes displayed before us. I've never seen him like this before, so invested and excited about something, it's nice.

"Harry!" Draco snaps his fingers in front of my face and I quickly break out of my trance.

"Yeah what, sorry?" I rush out and he gives me a funny look before turning back to face the glass and pointing at it.

"Look, that snake is looking right at you." He remarks and I look round to see that indeed it is then finally I hear it talking to me, I had been so caught up concentrating on Draco I hadn't heard it's whispers.

"You can hear me can't you?" The snake hisses and I nod. "Interesting, your not from around here are you?"

"No I'm not." I reply and Draco turns his body to face me, confusion clear on his features.

"I see, your not the first person who has talked to me and understood me you know." The snake slithers closer to the glass and my eyes widen. "Before I was captured and put in here, I met a man who too could understand me, apparently he was or maybe still is a very feared man, do you know him?"

"I might." I say not wanting to give to much away.

"Oh but I think you do." It says in a mocking tone. "Harry Potter." I watch in shock as the creature slithers away, behind lots of branches and leaves, disappearing.

"Harry." Draco shakes my shoulder and I force my eyes from the spot the snake had just been to Dracos face. "What was that all about?" He asks and I just stay quiet. then his eyes go wide in realisation. "Wait Harry, are you a parselmouth?"

"Maybe." I bite my lip and he gasps.

"Woah really? What did it say?" The blonde gapes clearly impressed.

I almost tell him but decide against it, it was probably nothing to be worried about that it knew my name, everyone does nowadays. "Nothing interesting really, it was just intrigued that I could understand. Now can we go see the lions pleaseee." I whine and he gives me a funny look, not convinced but sighs in defeat and nods, leading me to the big cat section.

"Someone's excited." He chuckles as we walk out of the reptile section.

"I am!" I almost squeal causing a my face to redden and Draco to laugh more.

"I can see." He smirks.

"Oh yeah." I say turning my body to face him slightly as we continue to walk hand in hand. "Can we go back to the hospital before we leave, I need to talk to Remus."

"Yeah of course." He smiles nodding. "Would you like to get something to eat on the way back? I mean it's what-what time is it?"

"Um." I look down at my Muggle watch Sirius sent me 4th year as a good luck present for the tournament. "It's 1 O'clock."

"Ok, so shall we go see the lions and that then go for lunch. There is a small town we passed on the way here, it's about a 5, 10 minute walk and I noticed it had many cafes and restaurants there." He suggests and I smile nodding.

"Sure."

As we get closer and closer to the big cats exhibit I get more and more excited and end up dragging Draco along to see them.

This time it's not only Draco saying random facts but me as well. I always took an immediate liking to big cats, especially lions, even before Hogwarts so when I was sorted in Griffindor, I was very happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads up, this book will be ending soon, I will be making it into a series but I may need some time as I'm swamped with school work.
> 
> Thank you for all the support so far :)


	27. Chapter 27

After seeing the big cats we go back round to the front, saying our thanks before leaving and heading to the small town. The walk there was very refreshing.

There was only a small path along the road but Draco refused to let go of my hand, walking in the road when cars weren't passing.

On our short journey, we talk about everything and nothing, it was nice. I like seeing this Draco, the Draco who hasn't constantly got his guard up, the Draco who laughs at and appreciates the small things, the Draco who isn't under his father's influence.

Finally we find a small Italian restaurant that meets Draco's 'standards' and we take a seat near the back, out of the way of everyone.   
We are seated opposite eachother and Draco lets my hand go for a second before holding it again across the table and picking up the menu with one hand.

"Like my hand alot don't ya Malfoy?" I tease grinning at him as a shade of pink scatters his cheeks.

"Um yeah I guess, it's just-" He starts but cuts himself off embarrassed. "Never mind." His hand starts to pull away but I just hold it tighter.

"That's not fair, you can't do that, you have to tell me now." I demand pouting and he goes to protest so I give him a look and he sighs in defeat.

"I just, I haven't held someone's hand well, ever and it's just nice I guess." The blonde replies sheepishly looking down at the menu, pretending to read what was on there. 

"Well, you can hold my hand as much as you like, I think it's cute." I smile and he looks up through his blonde hair, making him look so young, so vunerable, so different, yet so adorable.

When the waitor comes back over, I order a pizza and I watch Draco confused as he orders himself a pasta dish called Spaghetti all’Amatriciana. Once the waitor walks away Draco looks back at me and goes shy as he sees my expression.

"I want to try eating something other than soup again." He says in such a small voice it's almost inaudible and I give him a reassuring, proud smile, squeezing his hand slightly. "So how did you like the zoo." He asks smiling, obviously wanting to change the subject.

"It was amazing thank you so much, I love it all so much. The lions were definitely my favourite part but I also loved seeing all the penguins they were adorable and" I ramble on some more about the zebras and elephants and lizards and everything we saw as Draco watches me, a look in his eyes that I'd never seen before. He was looking at me in a way no one has ever looked at me and it warmed my heart greatly.

Our food arrived quite quickly and as we started to eat I tried my best to distract Draco.

"Can we go out like this again? It was nice." I ask taking a bite of my pizza.

"What like on another date?" Draco asks cooly, wait this was a date?

"This was a date?" I raise my eyebrow, putting my thoughts into words.

"It's whatever you want it to be." He smirks nibbling at his pasta.

"Then it was a date." I beam and he chuckles.

"Well, then yes, we can go on another date." The blonde smiles.

We talk for a bit longer but I can see he stuggling greatly so I reach my hand across the table and take his in my own. As our skin touches warmth races through me, despite the coldness of his hands, and I feel him relax. I give him a reassuring smile and continue to talk about everything and nothing and eventually he starts eating again. By the time I'm finished he has eaten 3 mouthfuls of pasta and I'm very proud to say the least, I can't imagine how hard it is for him.   
Giving his hand a small squeeze when I notice he doesn't want to eat anymore I stand.

"I'm going to pay upfront because we need to get going soon if we don't want to be back late, like you said, me and Remus do ramble on." I grin walking away and I hear him chuckle behind me.

Once I've payed I go back and take his hand back in mine, leading him out of the restaurant. We walk for a bit in peaceful silence before he stops at the side of the road and calls a taxi.   
We go through the same procedure to get back as we did to get here, luckily it takes a little less time as there wasn't as many people wanting to board the train, and before we know it we are back at the hospital.

As we walk in I notice Remus sat by Sirius, whispering something to him so I clear my throat accidentally startling him.

"Oh, hello Harry." He smiles walking over and pulling me into a hug. "Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yeah me neither, just wanted to discuss something with you that came to mind earlier." I smile and he nods leading me to sit with him. I keep hold of Draco's hand and he sits beside me awkwardly so I turn to face him and whisper, "would you like to wait outside, you don't have to but I didn't know if you would feel more comfortable?" He just nods and kisses me on the cheek shocking both of us and he rushes away quickly, a blush spreading on his cheeks. When I turn back to Remus his eyebrow is raised a a big smirk is plasted on his face. "Don't." I warn, trying to be stern but we both laugh at my attempt.

"Anyway, what is it you wanted to talk about?" He asks readjusting himself in his seat.

"Sirius." I state and he visibly tenses but nods, indicating for me to continue. "What will happen to him? If-when he wakes up? They still think he did it and we can't let him go back to Azkaban, not now." My voice cracks slightly at the end as a lump works its way into my throat and Remus places a strong hand on my shoulder.

"He will never go back there Harry, not on my watch." He gives me a reassuring smile before quickly putting a silencing charm on the room, although he still lowers his voice. "If he wakes up-"

"When." I correct him and he nods though obviously not convinced, aching my heart. It hurts that he doesn't believe he will, I mean he has every right to and I know it's not because he doesn't have faith in Sirius, he does, I see it in the way he looks at him, it's because he has lost so many people in his life and I guess as they haven't made it, he truly believes Sirius won't either.

"Sure." He waves a dismissive hand before continuing. "When he wakes, me and Tonks have a plan. We will wait until he is stable enough to leave and once they have got him all ready to go, Tonks will create a distraction causing the doctors to leave the room then I'll apparte Sirius and I to 12 Grimmauld place. Tonks will go home and I'll join her once Sirius is settled so that if anyone comes looking for him we can show he isn't with us." He smiles proudly at his plan as his eyes drift in adoration to Sirius.

"Is there any way Draco and I can help?" I ask after a while of taking in the plan.

Remus sits for a second, his gaze hardening as he thinks. "Yes, there is. Go get Draco so I don't have to repeat myself." He instructs and I nod opening the door and pulling the blonde inside. I lead him over to the chair next to mine sitting him down.

"Draco we would like your help for when Sirius wakes up is that ok?" I ask taking his hand in mine.

"Of course, I want to help as much as I can, it was my aunties fault he is here in the first place, I'm really sorry." He looks down ashamed and I give his hand a small squeeze.

"Thank you Draco, but your aunties actions are not your fault." Remus says giving him a small smile but Draco doesn't look up, instead just nods. "Right so Harry..."

And then he explains the rest of the plan, giving myself and Draco our own jobs.

"It sounds like a great plan." I smile finally and look at Draco who nods.

"I agree." He give Remus a small smile.

"Great!" He beams and I smirk at his excitement. I watch as he turns to look at Sirius and a frown begins to play at his lips.

"He'll wake Remus." I try to reassure the saddening wolf in front of me, receiving a small, weak smile.


	28. Chapter 28

The next week goes by in a painfully slow blur with me and Draco barely talking.

He's never around anymore, leaving at all times of the day as he has 'some business to attend to.'

It started when we got back to Malfoy manor after our day at the zoo. We were sat down at the table having dinner when an owl flew in giving Draco a letter.

Once Draco had quicky read the letter he got up and left, he didn't even tell me where he was going. He didn't come back until very late hours that night and I was very frustrated but when I confronted him he brushed me off saying he was tired and wanted to go to bed. He has been leaving at all hours now, before I wake, during mealtimes, just whenever and he wouldn't be back for hours.

I've been seeing Sirius by myself which has been really hard, I didn't realise how much I depended on Draco as my emotional support when going to see my Godfather.

My nightmares have been getting worse but he is never here to comfort me, causing me to not be able to fall asleep until he is home.

It is now Sunday night and I'm laying in bed waiting for Draco to get home. He left just before breakfast and hasn't been back since and it's currently 11:30pm. I'm sick of him ignoring me and leaving at all hours, not telling me where he is going. This has been our first week of dating, it's supposed to be fun, exciting, new but it has been none of that, instead it's been boring, irritating and very much like the old days when he was snappy and a dick towards me, I knew it was all too good to be true, guess I was just too naive to see it.

The sound of the door opening pulls me from my thoughts and I stand, opening the door to my room and leaning against the frame, awaiting his presence.

As he gets to the top of the stairs and walks closer, I can visibly see how drained and tired he is. His usual styled hair is messy, his shirt is creased, his back is slouched and his skin is paler than ever with two dark circles under the eyes, but I can't let this stop me confronting him again, I'm fed up of this.

Upon noticing me he sighs and goes to talk but I stop him, holding my hand up. "I don't wanna hear it Draco, I don't wanna hear your too tired, I'm so done with hearing that." I try to keep my voice stern but seeing him in this state doesn't help, he looks worse than ever. "You've been gone all hours of the day, I hardly see you and I don't even get an explanation. This was supposed to be one of the most exciting new weeks of our lives Draco, we just starting dating. We were supposed to go on dates and flirt with eachother and be all cute of whatever but instead here you are stumbling in at such late hours while I lay in bed worried sick about you. I'm done with it. I want a boyfriend who actually pays me attention, enough to let me know when he is going out and maybe, just maybe where, not one who won't acknowledge my existence." As I finish my speech I look away, not wanting to see the broken look in Draco's eyes.

We stand there for a second not saying anything, my arms crossed over my chest until he finally speaks up.

"Harry I'm so sorry, I've just been so busy with- I've just be so busy. I am really sorry." I hear footsteps then my face is moved by cold hands to face his. "I didn't mean to ignore you or not acknowledge you, I've just had alot going on. I know that's no excuse so I am truly sorry, I wanted to be with you, trust me I did, I had so much planned for us, just some stuff got in the way..." He drifts off looking down before quickly snapping his eyes back to look at mine, his hands still cupping my face. "I want to tell you what I'm doing, so badly, but I can't, I really can't and I hope you understand that, I don't- I can't loose you." His hands drop from my face and he looks away sheepishly.

Suddenly, all my anger melts away, no matter how mad I want to be at this boy, I can't, not when he is in this state, so vunerable, so helpless.

"Hey, you aren't loosing me." I take his hands in mine bringing them to my mouth, placing a small kiss on his knuckles. "Ok?"

"Ok." He smiles back at me tears in his eyes. "Merlin, look at me, I'm a mess, I should be comforting you for being such a dick and here I am crying like a little baby, I'm pathetic." He pulls his cold hands away from mine, abruptly rubbing at his eyes but I take his hands in mine once again.

"Draco, it's ok to cry, stop beating yourself up for having emotion." I look deep in his grey eyes and he slowly nods looking back the floor. "Come lay with me?" He looks up shocked but smiles nodding his head once again. I drop one of his hands leading him over to the bed. I slowly climb under the covers and he hesitantly follows in suit holding his arm out once comfortable for me to lay in his arms.

Smiling, I lay on his chest and small yet strong arms hold me securely against him.

"I'm sorry Harry." He whispers into my hair, his deep almost raspy voice sending shivers throughout my body. "I will make it up to you, we'll go on a date everyday next week ok? I won't be going out anymore for the rest of the holiday, I promise."

"Ok, thank you." I smile snuggling further into his chest.

"Good night Harry."

"Goodnight Draco."

I lay there for a while, trying so hard to keep my eyes open, trying to savour this moment. Despite him being a dick for all of this week, this vunerable side of him has really made it hard to be mad at him. He sounded so genuinely scared to loose me, even saying sorry, a word so foreign on his lips. 

"Harry." He whispers, so quiet it's barely audible and I try to hum in response but only a small sigh comes out. "Merlin, I'm such a fuck up Harry, I can't do anything right. I've always messed up everything but I want so much to not fuck this up, I can't afford to fuck this up." I go to speak, to tell him he isn't a fuck up but he continues. "I wish I had the courage to tell you this when your awake, but I guess I'm still telling you right?" He chuckles a little to himself, a sound I love so dearly. So he thinks, I'm asleep, should I wake him or- "You mean so much to me Harry, I don't think you understand, your the only person who I've truly ever wanted, your the only person I feel truly happy and safe around. My mother is the only one who usually makes me feel those things but with father there is no safety, really there is no happiness, he sucks the good out of everything and it's draining. I haven't felt like this in so long Harry, the last time I truly felt this happiness was when I learned you were coming to Hogwarts after seeing you at Madam Malkin's.   
After seeing you that day I knew I wanted to be your friend, not because of who you were, I didn't even know you were the chosen one at that point, no it was because when I saw you, I felt a sense of hope inside me, a feeling in which I'd never felt...then you went and turned me down." He chuckles lightly again and I frown, a pang of guilt hitting me. "But that's doesn't matter anymore because I have you now, Merlin I never thought this day would come, being able to say Harry Potter, the boy I've loved since I was eleven is finally mine." I smile as he sighs. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Harry, you mean the world to me now, it may not seem like it, what with all those years we went as enemies but really, I never wanted to be your enemy, yes I wanted to tourment you because well, seeing you get wound up was funny." Another chuckle escapes his lips and I roll my eyes, my smile not altering. "But I never wanted to make enemies with you, that was the last thing I wanted to do. Now I have you though, I'm never going to let you go, I will cherish you Harry, spoil you, love you, treat you how you deserve to be treated because quite frankly if I loose you, I will have nothing else to live for, you've become so much to me, even in this short amount of time, but I guess for me it hasn't been short." He takes one last deep breath before planting a kiss on my head. "Good night Harry."

"Good night Draco." I smile hearing him gasp.

"Did you?" His voice is shaky and I move my head to look up at him.

"I did, now go to sleep ok, your exhausted." I smile sitting up slightly placing a kiss on his cheek then taking my glasses off and putting them on the bedside table before laying back onto a still shocked Draco. "Your never going to loose me Draco, I'm here to stay, and your not a fuck up, at all, your amazing." He goes to protest but I cut him off. "Sleep Draco, I think we're both tired." And with that I drift off into my first dreamless sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

When I wake up I'm still in Draco arms, warm and safe. A smile creeps onto my lips as I hear him humming gently into my ear causing me to melt further into him, if possible.

I love this feeling, being here with him, momentarily forgetting about everything bad that has happened and is sure to happen in the near future. With him I feel so safe...so complete. Never in a million years would I of expected Malfoy to be the one to make me feel this way, but I guess the world really is full of surprises.

Sure it will take a while to get used to this, being so close, so affectionate with him, and yeah it will be strange at times but I really feel like it will all be worth it, in the end. I just wish we could've been like this from the start but, like they say, everything happens for a reason.

Happily sighing, I pull my self up onto my elbows rubbing my eyes, before reaching for my glasses but before I can they are slipped onto my nose, catching me by surprise.

Blushing at this small gesture, I collapse back onto Draco's chest casuing him to let a "mpfh" kind of sound.

"Jeez you trying to kill me?" He teases and I roll my eyes before turning my head up to look at him.

"But of course, that's my great plan, the only reason I'm here." I smirk.

"I knew it!" He gasps bringing the hand that's not wrapped around me to his chest. "I feel so betrayed." Shaking my head I laugh, looking into his eyes in adoration as he beams down at me.

I love this side of him, the teasing, silly side of him, I've only been lucky enough to see it a few times but it's definitely my favourite.

Suddenly he pecks my lips, chuckling at my shock then climbs out from underneath me walking over to the door and I pout at the lack of well...Draco.

"Awh don't look at me like that Potter, you might actually make me feel bad." He laughs so I just pout further, attempting to hold back a smile. "Look at it this way, the sooner you get up, the sooner we can see Sirius and the sooner we can go on our date." He winks, grinning and I quickly jump out of bed rushing over to him.

"Move out my way then, I need to go in the shower." I usher him out and he chuckles walking to his own room.  
Once I'm showered and changed I sheepishly walk to Draco's room and knock on the door.

"Come in." He calls through the door and I smile that he is inviting me into his room instead of just coming to the door.   
As I walk in I go to say something but hesitate, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Um well, you see, all my shorts are a bit tattered and big, not good enough for a date and um my only good pair of shorts are dirty because I forgot to tell Timmy so could I um maybe-" I begin rambling on scared of Draco's answer, before he cuts me off.

"Borrow a pair of mine?" He asks raising an eyebrow, again, and I nod looking to the floor in embarrassment. "Of course you can Harry, you know you don't have to be afraid to ask for things, I'll be happy to give them to you." He walks over lifting my chin with his finger and smiling at me.

"Thank you." I whisper smiling back at him and his nods before letting go of my chin and walking over to his dresser where he pulls out a grey pair of jogger shorts and a black pair of denim shorts.

"Which ones?"

"I don't mind whatever is easier."

"Mmmh, no that's not how this works." He frowns at me crossing his arms. "It's not what is easier it is what you want...so your going to have the denium ones because well, they will look amazing on you." He winks handing me the shorts and I roll my eyes walking out.

Once I've changed into them, I match them with a light brown, black striped shirt Fred and George bought me a while back.

"So what do you think?" I ask walking back into Draco's room, the door being left open for me.   
Turning to look at me, a gasp escapes his lips and his mouth drops open as his eyes rake my body.   
"Ok you can stop staring now, and close your mouth, you'll be catching flies soon." I tease plopping myself on his bed.

"Dam Potter, you look, well...hot." He grins shaking his head.

"You don't look too bad yourself Malfoy." I smirk, finally taking a moment to look at Draco's outfit. He is wearing black shorts, much like my own, and a dark green shirt, suprise suprise, with the top few buttons undone.

"Why thank you." He continues to grin holding his head up high and once again I roll my eyes.

After breakfast, we head to see Sirius for a couple hours before Draco floos us back to the house.

"Go wait by the front door I won't be long." He instructs, as we arrive, before sauntering away later coming back with a basket and some keys.

"Draco how much longerr?" I moan for the tenth time in the last 5 minutes.

After leaving the house, Draco led me through the back garden to a small gate which opened up to reveal a beautiful meadow filled with purple flowers.

At first I thought the breathtaking view was marvelous but I'm not sure I still stand by that as it seems to be going on forever.

"Not long." Draco snaps, keeping his eyes in front of him. "And stop whining of we are going back, you are giving me a headache."

Huffing, I jog a little to catch up with the blonde, subconsciously slipping my hand into his causing a blush to trickle onto my cheeks and a small smile to tug at my lips.


	30. Chapter 30

"Ok, we're here." He finally says and I look up from the grass that I had been previously staring at to be met with...the sea?

"Where exactly is here?" I ask admiring the marvelous expansion of rippling water.

"Come with me and you'll see." Draco smirks pulling me down a hill and to the end of a small pier hovering above the water.

At the end of it awaits a small, well small for a Malfoy, boat.

Walking up to it, Draco places the basket in then, still holding my hand climbs in, giving me a little tug indicating for me to follow.

"Where are you taking me?" I smirk stepping in. "You taking me to some abandoned island to kill me?"

"Your half right." He winks placing the keys in the ignition.

"Which half?" I raise an eyebrow.

"You'll have to wait and see...or not." He chuckles giving my hand a light squeeze before letting go to steer the boat.

I really don't think I'll ever get used to this playful, teasing Draco. I mean, yes he did tease me a lot in our prior years, but that was different teasing. That was to get a rise out of me and my friends, this is to get a laugh out.

Smiling I watch him carefully as the wind begins to blow in his hair. How have I never noticed his pure beauty before? Sure, I always knew he was a good looking guy, I mean he has practically all the girls in Slytherin and some in other houses, though they dont like to admit it, drooling over him.

Suddenly I feel a wave of jealousy wash over me, when we go back, I'm going to have to watch all those girls constantly flirting with Draco. That should be terribly fun, but it's fine, he's gay and we still have a good few weeks left till we go back.

“What thats?” I ask, after a while of silence, squinting into the distance.

Following my eyes, Draco smiles proudly. “Our destination, Narcissa island, my father bought it for their one year anniversary and named it after her.”

“One year?!” I exclaim looking back round at the blonde boy completely forgetting the first thing he said.

“Yeah, father can be a bit over the top.” He chuckles.

“Wait did you say we are going there?” I ask suddenly remembering what he had said.

“That we are, it's beautiful, you're sure to get some spectacular pictures.” He smiles and I go to tell him I don’t have my camera but he stops me, pulling it from his pocket.

Raising an eyebrow I smile, taking it from him before taking some pictures of our surroundings, even sneaking one of him looking off to the side, he is truly beautiful.

The boat ride is only around 10 minutes and as we get closer and closer, my eyes widen at the marvelous island before me.

It is outlined in a ring of fluffy looking sand which has a beautiful cabin sitting on it. In the middle is a mass of grass full of flowers and even a few palm trees dotted here and there.

After taking his shoes and socks off, I watch as Draco jumps out into the shallow water and begins to pull the boat to shore, once he has, he offers me his hand and I gladly take it, wobbling slightly as I climb out.

"I was thinking, I could give you a tour of the island, then we could come back here and have something to eat, that way, the sun should be setting as we head back." Draco suggests, lacing our fingers together and I nod eagerly.

The island was truly amazing and took us around 2 hours to travel round, with small breaks to truly admire it.

Just like I thought, the sand stretched all the way round the island like a protective barrier. We mainly walked along the beach, occasionally dipping into the main part of the island to look at the different plants Draco wanted to show me.

By the time we get back to the small hut, I've taken hundreds of pictures and am starving so I'm extremely happy when Draco starts unpacking the basket of food onto a small table, a picnic, filled with all the usual picnic snacks.

As we eat, we make small talk, not the awkward kind though, the nice kind, and before we know it we’ve finished everything and the sun is beginning to set.

We quickly pack everything up and I take a moment to admire the island before finally climbing in the boat with Draco.

"It's beautiful." I sigh.

When Draco thought we had a good enough view of it, he stopped the boat in the water so we could watch the sun set, then pulled me into his arms to snuggle his head in my hair.

"It truly is." He replies but when I look up at him, he isn't looking at the sun, but at me and I feel my heart leap inside my chest.

Smiling, I lean up and we share short but magical kiss. I don't remember much after that, except waking up in Draco's bed, his arms wrapped around me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this isn't great, I didn't have the motivation but, something big is coming soon to make up for it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big time jump here

The next few weeks leading up to the end of summer are spent on trips to see Sirius, lots and lots of dates and exploring the garden even more. 

I've also spent a lot of my time drawing different things and Draco spent his time playing me new songs on his guitar, even learning some I had requested. His eating has got a lot better too, he has been having at least one full meal a day and i really am proud of him.

This summer has been so great and i really don't want it to end, but I guess all good things come to an end at some point.

"Please can I see it now?" Draco whines. It's currently our last day before we go back to Hogwarts, and much to Draco's satisfaction, I gave in and am now drawing him, unfortunately, he doesn't know how to be bloody patient. "It's been agess."

"Ten more minutes, that's all I need." I sigh causing him to frown, I am so glad I decided to draw the picture I got of him on the boat because apparently he doesn't know how to keep still to save his life.

"Nope not good enough." He huffs, jumping up from the end of the bed and throwing himself on me, luckily I manage to hold the drawing above my head before he lands on me.

"Ow." I groan. "What was that for?"

"Let me see itt." He reaches up to grab it but I just hold it up higher, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him down so he cant get it.

"No, no means no Draco." I roll my eyes as he tries to struggle from my grip. "Ever heard that word before? Your so bloody impatient you know that, a right pain in my-"

He quickly cuts me off pressing his lips to mine, using his hands to run down my sides causing me to shudder and drop the drawing.

"Aha." He sits up, straddling my waist, with the paper now in his hand, a huge grin on his face.

Rolling my eyes I reach up to grab it but he snatches my wrist in his hand then grabs the other.

Smirking down at me, he looks at the drawing and I instantly feel his grip loosen as his mouth drops open. Taking this as my opportunity, I slip my wrist from his hand and grab the parchment.

He looks at me shocked for a second before shaking his head, grinning once again.

"Harry, that's amazing." He beams and I feel myself blushing. "But I mean of course it is, it's me after all."

"Arse." I smirk and he laughs before leaning down to kiss me.

Just as our lips are about to touch, we here a crack somewhere in the room. We both look at each other before snapping our heads around to see Remus, who looks very awkward and red in the face. Letting out a small gasp, Draco quickly scrambles off of me.

"Er, sorry, i didn't mean to apparate in here, my magic is just a bit off at the moment." Remus apologizes giving me a small look, right the full moon. There is a moment of awkward silence before fear washes over Remus' face. "Sirius! Right, that's why I'm here, we need to leave right now."

I feel my stomach plummet. "Why, whats- is he ok?" I jump to my feet, Draco following in suite.

"Yes-No- i don't know, they didn't tell me anything, i got a owl from St Mungos telling me to come quick, so we need to go." Remus rushes out and i nod grabbing his arm then taking Dracos hand in mine.

Draco tries to say something but before he can, we are out side the hospital. Without letting go of Draco, I follow Remus into the building, rushing after him as he goes to the front office, telling them he is here, then running to Sirius' room.

When we get there, a doctor is waiting outside, her lips in a sympathetic frown. "I'm so sorry."

Remus lets out a small choke before rushing into the room with me and Draco following shortly after him.

Finally letting go of Draco's hand, I walk over to Remus, who is standing beside Sirius' lifeless body.

"No, Pads, please, you can't be, you just can't." Remus sobs shaking Sirius' arm. "We were supposed to get married, we were-" He cuts off choking again and I quickly pull him into a hug as tears begin streaming down my face.

"Merlin, look at your soppy gits crying over me." A voice suddenly says from behind us and we immediately pull away, snapping our heads in the direction of sound.

"Sirius?" Remus gasps as we stare at the very much alive animagus.

"Hello Moony." Sirius smiles and Remus lets out another sob before throwing his arms around the other man while I stand absolutely shook.

"W-h-how? We thought you were dead." Remus says into his boyfriends shoulder.

"And why would you think that?" Sirius smirks, looking down at the man on top of him.

"T-the doctor, she said-" I stutter, stepping closer to Sirius.

"What doctor? Oh you mean Tonks." He laughs nodding to the door, and sure enough, in comes the doctor but her features are now those of Nymphadoras.

"You arse." Remus mutters, refusing to let go of Sirius as he climbs on the bed with him.

"Why thank you." He laughs back before winking at Tonks. "And thank you."

"Your very welcome." She says giving a little bow.

"Is that Draco Malfoy I see?" Sirius raises an eyebrow.

"Oh um yeah." I snap back into reality, nodding for Draco to come over. "He is um my-"

"Your boyfriend." Sirius smirks. "I know."

"What? How?"

"I heard everything you lot said while I was in the coma." He laughs then gives Draco a look causing him to turn a deep shade of red and I give him a questioning look but he just shakes his head.

We spend the rest of the day with Sirius, catching him up as best as we can, Remus not letting go of him for even a second, but honestly I can't blame him.

Draco and I sat in chairs beside the bed, Tonks ended up flooing back to hers and Remus' place, and listened as Sirius tried to explain what he felt like being in a coma, he said it felt as though he was no longer in his body but instead watching it.

After a few hours, Remus grew tired, drifting in an out of sleep on Sirius' chest.

"I think its best you two go home." He whispers, stroking the werewolf's hair. "The doctors know I'm awake so no need to worry about that. When you back at Hogwarts?"

"Tomorrow." I answer in a low voice.

"Ah, you definitely need to get going then, can't be tired on your first day back." Sirius smiles then looks down at Remus. "I'll be fine here."

Nodding, I walk round to the other side of the bed, giving Sirius a small hug, being careful not to wake Remus, before walking away, Draco in toe, not looking back because I know if I do, I won't leave.


	32. Chapter 32

As soon as we got back, we went to Dracos room, changed then got into bed, I'd been sleeping there a lot recently.

"You ok?" Draco asks as he wraps his arms around me.

"Yeah." I smile up at him but he doesn't look convinced. "It's just, I'm gonna sound so selfish saying this but I just wish he had woken up at a different time. Don't get me wrong, I'm so so happy he is awake and well, alive but I had hoped I could've been with him more when he woke, but with school starting tomorrow, I can't."

Draco watches me for a second in silence. "We could ask Dumbledore if we can visit every week, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Thank you, for everything." I say snuggling further into Draco further. "This summer has been great." 

"Yeah, it's been pretty mediocre I guess." He laughs and I roll my eyes.

"Arse."

"Rude! But I am gonna miss this." He sighs rubbing my arm.

"Me too, it's going to be so weird when we are back at school and everything is back to normal again."

"Yeah." I look up to see he's frowning but when he notices he smiles. "But hey, at least you get to see those pathetic friends of yours."

I roll my eyes laughing. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that."

"Get some sleep, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

That's the last thing I hear before I drift into a peaceful sleep.

"Hurry up!" Draco shouts from downstairs. "We need to leave now!"

"Alright alright I'm coming!" I shout back closing my bag. Picking it up I take one last look around the room, the room that I had slept in for the whole of summer, before smiling and heading downstairs. "We've still got ages you know, why do you want to be so early?"

"Because." He doesn't meet my eyes when he says this and I know something's up.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Yes but why?"

"Because how do you think it would look me walking into the platform with you now everyone knows he is back?" He finally snaps then quickly looks up at me in shock. "Shit."

"Right." I look down before pulling the invisibility cloak over my head. Wow I really was naive to think maybe this summer thing wasn't just a thing for the summer.

"Harry." He breaths.

"We need to go, come on." And with that I open the door and walk out to wait by the cab that had just pulled up.

The journey was quiet and Draco kept biting his lip, but I didn't care, I just wanted to get to the platform and see Hermione and Ron.

As soon as the cab is gone and I've taken off the cloak, Draco gives me a pleading look but I ignore him and start walking towards the muggle train station but in my attempts get pulled into an alley way.

"Look Harry I'm sorry, ok?" I turn around too see Draco looking at me with cold eyes. "But you couldn't of possibly believed that we could just turn up as if we were a couple."

Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms over my chest. "No, I didn't, and that's not what I'm upset about."

"Then what are you upset about?" Draco throws his hands in the air before mimicking my crossed arms. 

"I'm upset that your really that embarrassed to just be seen with me, I didn't want to, even expect us to walk onto the platform holding hands or talking as though we were friends, it just hurts, that even now you think so little of me, that you haven't changed!"

"Your being fucking stupid. Naive and stupid." Draco scoffs. "I would not be seen dead with you last year, so why should that change now? I need to keep up my reputation."

"Oh I'm sorry, I completely forgot about your precious reputation." I mock. "But you know, there are plenty of explanations you could of come up with to why you were going to be with me."

"Well I can't think of any so by all means, do enlighten me. But why do you so desperately want to walk on a platform of fucking people with me?" He spits, his anger boiling.

"Because- because, I want to be with you until we have to part ways, not when we choose to. Is it so bad that I want to spend as much time as I can, just close to you?" I practically shout but try to keep my voice down. "But that doesn't matter now, do as you fucking wish Malfoy, it doesn't matter to me." 

Finally I turn around and walk away and not long after, I hear Dracos footsteps behind me.

When we get through platform 9 and ¾, just like Draco had wanted, we see no one there, only a few first years. I don't stop walking until I get to the place where me, Ron and Hermione usually meet, I really can't wait for them to get here.

Leaning up against the wall I notice Draco standing nearby his head held high. Rolling my eyes I face away from him to be met by a beaming face.

"Hermione!" I exclaim and she pulls me into a hug.

"Hello Harry, so how are you and Draco." She whispers before pulling away.

"Um-" Luckily I don't have to finish as Ron come bounding over.

"Ello mate." He beams pulling me in for a hug before awkwardly hugging Hermione.

We stand chatting for a while before the train finally pulls up.

Just as we are about to get on, Draco saunters straight in front of us, slipping a piece of parchment into my hand.

"See he is still a bloody git." Ron sneers.

"Yeah, he is." I say loud enough for Draco to hear and I see him tense, ever so slightly.

Once everyone has bundled onto the train and into the carriages, I take out the piece of parchment.

'Meet me in the Slytherin carriages when everyone's off'

"What that?" Ron asks trying to get a peak and I quickly scrunch it up putting it in my pocket.

"Nothing important." He gives me a funny look but I choose to ignore it. "So, anything I need to be caught up on?"

Ron goes to speak but Hermione quickly cuts him off. "Ron, I know what your going to say but I honestly don't believe it's true."

"What? What's not true?" I ask eagerly sitting up in my seat.

"Well-" Hermione gives Ron a stern look and he throws his hands up. "What's the big deal, it's not like he'll care."

"What, just tell me already." I turn my body to face Ron.

"Malfoys joining them." He says and I feel my whole body tense. "Me and Hermione saw him, he went into Borgin and Burke's."

"I already said, I don't know what I saw." Hermione defends.

"Alright alright, and I'm just telling Harry what I saw." Ron shrugs.

He wouldn't, surely he wouldn't, would he? I mean this would explain that week where he kept disappear to go somewhere secret. 

"Anyway, Harry, how's Sirius?" Hermione asks.

"Oh yeah." I feel myself instantly cheer up. "He woke up."

"Really?" The exclaim at the same time and I nod grinning.

"Oh Harry, that's amazing." Hermione beams.

The rest of the journey drags on but finally, we pull up to the station.

"Can I meet you there, I have something I need to do first." I say as Hermione and Ron begin to stand.

"Er, yeah, alright then mate." Ron raises an eyebrow but before he can inquire further, Hermione drags him out, thank merlin for that girl.

I wait a little longer for most people to leave before exiting my carriage and heading to the slytherin ones and after taking a deep breath, I head in to see Draco, a type of emotion in his eyes I can't quite understand.

"Harry." He gulps rushing forward. "I-we don't have much time so...I'll get straight to the point. We can't do this anymore, we can't be together anymore." I feel a lump rise to my throats as he abruptly turns around but swallow as he turns back around. His eyes flicker to my lips. "Fuck, I can't do this, I can't leave you in the dark. Harry, I've made a horrible choice, a choice I shouldn't have made, but I did and I hate myself for that. It's all becoming so real now, I'm sorry Harry." A tear leaves his eye as they watch me. Reaching up he strokes my cheek before leaning in and kissing me. "I'm gonna miss you Harry Potter." And with that, he turns around, this time not turning back, but walking on, only stopping at the door to mutter, "don't talk or come near me again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it done, actually not completely, as I've said I will be making this into a series and I will post as soon as I can but I need a small break to catch up on school work first. Thank you for all the support so farm:)


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